january empties & hit pans!

hi guys! it's the end of january, and that means monthly empties time!!! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. too faced primed and poreless
2. skindinavia oil control setting spray
3. maybelline fit me matte + poreless in 120
4. lypsyl lip balm
5. opi original nail envy
6. sigma F80 -- this brush is having a major sad. the glue is undone and all the bristles decided to get shoved into the ferrule and become stubby. it's a sad sad day.
   repurchase? probably not, seeking out cheaper alternatives (i got one for christmas that i'm still trying out.)
7. estee lauder doublewear light in intensity 2.0 -- i think i mentioned this in a favorites shortly after i got this, but omg this is like the best foundation ever. i'm not sure i want to venture into the regular doublewear because that's supposedly even more heavy duty. but this was my special occasion foundation for the past year or so and it's been amazing. super great coverage and i never needed additional concealer.
   repurchase? omg yes. need.
8. soap and glory sugar crush body buttercream -- so yummy. omg. i love it! i'm not sure if i like it more than their original pink scented one though.
   repurchase? maybe

hit pans

1. benefit dallas blush
2. forgot to mention these last month, since these usually live in my weekend/travel makeup bag
1. clinique fresh bloom blush in posy -- yes, i know this is old, but i'm still trying to use it. this is actually my second one of these, as i broke the first and didn't know how to fix them at the time..and unfortunately tossed it. i'm kind of sad that they don't make these anymore because they're a pretty nice blush and you can customize how much highlight you want to mix in.
2. cover fx matte powder in light -- this is also something that's old. lol. but i didn't actually start using it until a few months ago, so give me a little credit! this is also my second or third of these. i kept buying these (as well as clinique's version) before i really knew better because they were 'mattifying or oil control powders' for acne-prone people. and at the time, the covergirl clean pressed powder was only ok and pretty much the only other oil control powder i knew of. annnyway. this is an ok product. i kind of wish i researched a bit more at the time before continually repurchasing though.

[not pictured]

1. belif true cream aqua bomb
2. pantene smooth and sleek conditioner
3. l'occitane shea butter hand cream mini -- i'm actually not a fan of this scent. like why make the should-be unscented one smell like ridiculously strong baby powder. like why? no. just no.
   repurchase? no
4. simple micellar wipes -- while i enjoyed using these, i don't really see a justification for the increased price relative to the regular cleansing wipes. these are up to $2 more per package than those. and i feel like they work the same, i didn't really see any additional benefit using these compared to those.
   repurchase? nah

january favorites

hi guys! with the new year and a new work project...and a business trip... let's just say things have been so hectic recently that i didn't have time to try out new things or old things that need loving. so here ya go. short and sweet. please excuse the reused swatch photos..for the sake of time, i didn't want to take new ones. ~Lin-chan ^.~

maybelline color tattoo concentrated crayons: bronze truffle, barely beige, pink parfait

tartelette tease palette: whisper, crush, heartbreaker, wink, first kiss, bff

1. maybelline lash sensational luscious mascara -- i really liked the original and i am really enjoying the formula of this one as well. i'm not totally sure which one i like better. i do feel like the "fan effect" that it gives the lashes a nice full, yet perfectly spaced effect. does that make sense... anyway i like how it does clump and separates the lashes.
2. maybelline color tattoo concentrated crayon in bronze truffle -- i really enjoyed using this product. it's a more hands-free version of the potted product. i feel like these are a lot smoother and less tacky (or dry faster) than the originals too. whenever i wore this, i would apply powder shadows to the browbone, inner corner, and crease, then apply this shade over the lid.
3. tarte tartelette tease palette -- so far, i've used the top half or the bottom half for each look. i prefer the top half more so because it has more neutral nude type shades, whereas the bottom has bff which i feel like i have to bring in other shadows to soften it up.
4. elizabeth mott thank me later eyeshadow primer -- i got this in last month's ipsy bag. this is not exactly a favorite, but more like: i appreciate having this product and it's in a small tube. this has replaced what's been in my travel makeup bag. this is actually a pretty good primer, comparable to too faced shadow insurance or urban decay primer potion as far as lasting power and feel of the product. however, for the price, i don't think that it's supah amazing that you'd have to go out of your way to order it online. either of the other two primers i mentioned can be easily purchased at your local sephora or ulta---or better yet, milani's eye primer is really good too, for way less money at your local...almost anywhere that carries drugstore cosmetics.

january hauls

i can't believe it's already the end of january!! time's a flyin and mardi gras is almost here!! too bad i don't live in a city that gets the day off any more (and i'm not in college any more)........but at least there's always king cake! mmmmmmmmmmm!

a few things on here were purchased in mind for a business trip! check my instagram for more frequent updates! i'll try to make an update post on here whenever i have any business trips. it might not be many since the point of this project is to have most of our team at my office.

also, i have included a couple last minute christmas gifts that i received. a couple days before christmas, my dad took me to the frame shop at the naval base where he works to let me pick out frames for a couple wedding items. and my mil ordered me another work shirt, but it was on back-order and didn't make it in time for christmas. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

ulta: maybelline lash sensational luscious mascara in blackest black and color tattoo concentrated crayons in bronze truffle, barely beige, and pink parfait

bronze truffle, barely beige, pink parfait

sephora: tarte tartelette tease palette, sephora collection green tea sheet mask, freebies: benefit they're real lash primer, clinique beyond perfecting foundation + concealer in alabaster ---- i wanted to try out this foundation and thought that 100 points, sure why not!

whisper, crush, heartbreaker, wink, first kiss, bff

amazon: tony moly sheet mask set (link)

sally beauty supply: ion ionic travel dryer & whisper quiet lite dryer -- they were having a sale this month, get a full price hair tool, get a travel tool free (both were for select models). i also got a free gym bag and water bottle for spending $49+ annnnd i had a $5 off $25 coupon that they emailed me. so i got two dryers and a bag for $50. (sorry for the not so great pic, i'm short and i had difficulty taking this photo as far as lighting, and trying not to be in it, etc.)

friends! we got a new couch in december, i don't think i ever mentioned it on here! haha.

sephora: ud x gwen blush palette, estee lauder double wear light in intensity 2.0, freebie formula x polish mini in obsessed

cabela's: baretraps emalyn boots
shoe carnival: baretraps kenna boots
jc penny: isotoner fleece-lined touch screen gloves

late xmas gifts. yes, there's anti-glare glass on the red silk. the canvas does not have glass over it.

swatches: colourpop ultra matte lip set in foxy

hi guys! i've finally all of these to swatch for you! as i mentioned in the haul post, they somehow sent me two of the shade creeper, and no tulle. so tulle has finally come into my possession (it was sent to the in-laws' house) and i can swatchy swatchy now! anyway. here ya go. ~Lin-chan ^.~

clueless, beeper, tulle, more better, creeper

clueless (sorry this one's a bit blurry i had major difficulties photographing this one)

beeper

tulle

more better

creeper

target january beauty boxes

hi guys! today i've got the two target beauty boxes for january! sorry this post is kind of late. these got sent to the in-laws, and then the work-life balance is a bit funky right now (refer to my previous work post..) also, i missed out on the december box because i was at work and didn't know they were available for purchase. TT_TT anyway, i got them this time! ~Lin-chan ^.~

renewal box

1. attitude 2-in-1 shampoo & body wash (1oz--sample, ret. $7.99 for 12oz [$0.67]) -- i will have to try this and get back to you guys.
   repurchase? undecided
2. attitude volume & shine shampoo (1oz--sample, ret. $7.99 for 12oz [$0.67]) -- i will have to try this and get back to you guys.
   repurchase? undecided
3. laneige bb cushion (ret. $34 for .5oz) -- oh yay, another one of these things. i thought it was ok when i first tried it, but i'm not interested in repurchasing this.
    repurchase? no
4. scrunci no-slip grip braided headwrap (ret. $5.99) -- i appreciate that in addition to being braided, it has the no-slip grip on the underside. i think i'll pass this off to the mil since she tends to use these kinds of things when she goes running.
   repurchase? probably not
5. degree women fresh energy dry spray (3.8oz--full size, ret. $4.99) -- i'm not sure how to describe the scent of this one. i'm ok with it being called fresh energy. lol. it's fresh, but also like a wake-me-up type of scent. i'm interested.
   repurchase? maybe
6. jergens wet skin moisturizer with monoi oil(2oz--mini, ret. $6.99 for 10oz [$1.40]) -- i actually really enjoyed samples of the coconut one, but i don't really like the scent of the floral one.
   repurchase? maybe the coconut one
7. revlon ultimate all-in-one mascara in blackest black (full size, ret. $8.99) -- i don't think i've seen many reviews of this, but if i remember correctly, they seemed to be either neutral or negative. i'm not too sure how i feel about this tiny brush wand though.
   repurchase? probably not
8. hada labo tokyo anti-aging facial mask (1 mask, ret. $14.99 for 4 [$3.75]) -- this is getting passed off to a friend since i tried this and it wasn't for me. see my december empties post.
   repurchase? no
9. caress fine fragrance body wash in love forever (1.8oz--mini, ret. $3.99 for 13.5oz [$0.53]) -- i've been wanting to try this ever since bailey b on youtube first mentioned this product. this has a really nice scent, i'm interested in this 12 hour "touch activated [fragrance release] technology" because that's a bit outrageous.
   repurchase? maybe
10. $3 off $15 coupon

approximate product value: ~$27

refresh box

1. john frieda keraflex hair spray  (2oz--mini, ret. $8.99 for 13oz [$1.38]) -- yay! another hair spray to add to the backlog collection! this doesn't have an offensive smell, so i'm interested, but i'm not really sure when i'll get around to using it.
   repurchase? probably not
2. nivea in-shower body lotion (2.7oz--mini, ret. $5.99 for 13.5oz [$1.20]) -- i received samples of this in the past and passed them onto a friend. now that i've got this trip to chicago coming up, i think i'm going to take this along. this doesn't have much of a scent, which i appreciate.
    repurchase? maybe, but probably not because i'm impatient.
3. nip+fab glycolic fix pads (5 pads--mini, ret. $12.99 for 60 [$1.08]) -- these have an interesting scent. i've never used any of the ingredients in these pads before, so maybe that's what they all smell like, combined....... in application, it doesn't feel too bad. like a gentle version of a stridex pad.
   repurchase? probably not
4. scunci braided elastic bands  (2 bands, ret. $2.87 for 6 [$0.96]) -- these are kind of cute. i'm not sure how i'd like them exactly. they look like several ponytail bands woven together, which is i guess how they could claim them to be "3x stronger and more durable".
   repurchase? nah
5. acure day [facial] cream (1oz--, ret. $16.99 for 1.75oz [$9.71]) -- i like the orange scent this has. i'm not too sure about the formulation.
   repurchase? probably not
6. simple micellar wipes (25 wipes--full size, ret. $6.99) -- i've been using a pack of these the past couple weeks and i like it. but i don't feel like the extra cost of the micellar ones is justified when the regular ones are just fine to me. i do appreciate that this is a full pack of 25 and not a travel size
   repurchase? probably not
7. marlowe extra moisturizing body lotion (1oz--, ret. $9.99 for 15oz [$0.67]) -- i'm not liking the scent of this stuff. according to the back there's floral and other earthy hints to it, which are definitely not my thing. it does feel like a nice cream though.
   repurchase? no
8. clear total care nourishing daily conditioner (1.7oz--mini, ret. $4.99 for 12.9oz [$0.66]) -- this is kind of weird, no shampoo but there's a conditioner in here. not that i'm really complaining, i can always use conditioner! i believe i've tried this before and liked it.
   repurchase? maybe
9. clear scalp therapy 2-in-1 complete care anti-dandruff  (1.7oz--mini, ret. $5.49 for 12.9oz [$0.72]) -- this is gettin passed off to teh paul. lol.
   repurchase? he likes this brand, but i'm not sure if he's used this one before.
10. $3 off $15 coupon

approximate product value: ~$23

january 2016: sephora play!

hi guys! here's part two of things that came to my mailbox today: january's sephora play box! (theme: no appointment necessary) ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. clinique chubby stick sculpting highlight in hefty highlight (.12oz--mini, $22 for .21oz [$12.57]) -- i still haven't used the one i got in a previous sephora favorites box...so i'll be passing this along, but this is really pretty.
   repurchase? probably not
2. dr. brandt needles no more (.085oz--mini, ret. $89 for .5oz [$15.13]) -- i don't need something like this...yet...so this is getting passed along.
   repurchase? no
3. sephora collection green tea eye mask (1 pair, ret. $5) -- i've been interested in trying their eye masks, but was not so keen on the price.... i'll have to get back to you guys on this one.
   repurchase? nah
4. dr. dennis gross alpha beta peel (3 treatments, ret. $148 for 60 treatments [$7.40]) -- i had samples of these in the past and never got around to using them, and i recently went through all of my samples and tossed them..because who knows how old some of them were............. anyway, i'm interested in trying these out, but these are super expensive! maybe they're worth it. i don't know.
   repurchase? nah
5. living proof prime style extender spray (.5oz--mini, ret. $20 for 3.4oz [$2.94]) -- i have other samples from this line that i still have not gotten around to use. maybe since this is a spray, i'll be more inclined..? anyway, the scent isn't too bad. a slightly chemically light floral-ish.
   repurchase? probably not
6. tocca isabel (sample, ret. $68 for 1.7oz) -- i'll just tell you the notes...and you can figure out if i like it or not.. sangria, mediterranean orange, spanish ROSE and leather
   repurchase? no
7. 'coupon' for an extra 50 points on the next in-store purchase

approximate product value: ~$43

january 2016 ipsy bag

hi guys! it's a new year and a new IPSY BAG*! (theme: fall eyes on you) today i bring you one of two posts, since i was able to get my two subscriptions in the mail on the same day! yay! anyway, here ya go. ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. theBalm mr. write (now) in jac b. bronze (.01oz--full size, ret. $17) -- this is a really nice color! i'm interested in trying it out! as far as a hand swatch, this thing does not budge once it has set. amaaazing! also, there's a sharpener hiding in the bottom of this.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
2. hikari cosmetics cream metallic pigment shadow in mink (.14oz--full size, ret. $13) -- i'm not sure if this is supposed to be like a loreal infallible eyeshadow, but it certainly doesn't feel like one. and it's not creamy like a cream shadow. it's a stiffer consistency. the packaging is interesting too, it appears to be in a metal pan, inside of the plastic casing..which is kind of weird, but ok i guess. all of that aside, the color is really nice. 
• likelihood to repurchase: nah
3. skone cosmetics smudger brush (ret. $15) -- this is cute. it'll get some use for either upper or lower liner application.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
4. ofra cosmetics universal eyebrow pencil (.04oz--full size, ret. $13) -- this glides on pretty nicely. it's got the right amount of wax to it. i like the shade, but i'm not sure if it's truly universal...
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
5. lasting smiles lip balm in peppermint creme (.15oz--full size, ret. $4.99) -- try all of the lip balms!!! this one has a nice feel on the lips, like a slick slip, but it absorbs a bit faster than i'd like. i usually prefer balms that i can noticeably feel on my lips after an hour or so. the scent of this is like a slightly mentholated peppermint.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
6. glasses lady....printed ipsy bag -- this is kinda cute. like retro-ish. i like it, but i'll probably pass it along.
7. card with company info/discount codes
1. thebalm.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/29/16)
2. hikaricosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: hikari30 (exp. 2/29/16)
3. skonecosmetics.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsyjan (exp. 2/29/16)
4. ofracosmetics.com: 40% off purchase, code: ipsyofra40 (exp. 2/29/16)
5. pixibeauty.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsyjan (exp. 2/29/16)
6. jcatbeauty.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy116 (exp. 2/29/16)
7. beaugachis.com: 20% off purchase, code: beautifulipster (exp. 2/29/16)
8. crownbrush.us: 25% off purchase, code: crownipsy25 (exp. 1/31/16)
9. marskcosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy012016 (exp. 2/29/16)
10. mitchelandpeach.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy24 (exp. 2/29/16)
11. skyniceland.com: 40% off one full-sized product & 20% off additional items, code: ipsyeyegel (exp. 2/29/16)
12. heyhoney.com: 20% off purchase, code: honeyipsy (exp. 2/29/16)
13. shop.purlisse.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsyadore30 (exp. 2/29/16)
14. tuckerashley.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 2/29/16)
15. hanaleicompany.com: 50% off purchase, code: ipsyscrub (exp. 2/29/16)
16. jellypongpong.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/29/16)
17. kloraneusa.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsycornflower20 (exp. 1/31/16)
18. bejour.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy25 (exp. 2/29/16)
19. dirty-little-secret.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/29/16)
20. peekbeauty.co: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 2/29/16)
21. trestique.com: 30% off $40+ purchase & free shipping, code: ipsyinsider (exp. 2/29/16)
22. burtsbees.com: 20% off burt's bees cleansing oil, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/29/16)
23. coastalscents.com: 25% off purchase, code: pearl25off (exp. 3/7/16)
24. citycolorcosmetics.com: 50% off purchase, code: ipsy50 (exp. 2/29/16)

approximate product value: ~$63

*Affiliate Link.

year in review: ipsy glambags 2015

 

hi guys! here's my year in review of my ipsy bags*! ~Lin-chan ^.~

january

1. bella pierre shimmer powder in celebration -- this is such a pretty coppery gold shade. super gorgeous!
2. elizabeth mott all over shadow brush -- this is a great fairly stiff, but still flexible brush. i love using these types of brushes for all-over shadow application
3. la fresh be good. good day. day moisturizer -- this smells really weird. it's kinda like sunscreen but not really...i think it's the cucumber or something that makes it smell like this.. i'm undecided if i want to actually use this on my face though. the scent really bothers me.
• product was given away
4. pacifica natural mineral coconut eye shadow in ethereal -- this is so pretty. i feel like the name is very fitting because it's super highlighty and shimmery...idk maybe that's just my word association at work...
5. probelle nail polish in into the blue -- this polish formula is awful. it applies super patchy and it barely lasted a day on my nails.

february

1. modelco blush in cosmopolitan -- it's a very pretty blush shade, but not super happy with how much powder my brush kicks up.
• product given away
2. mitchell and peach fine radiance face oil -- i was using this for a little while, then i moved onto other things. i need to get back to it and decide how i really like it.
3. eva nyc up all night volumizing spray -- i ended up using this only once and it was ok. i wasn't really huge into it, but i need to try it more.
4. emite make up professional eye lash curler -- i'll just leave the following link here.
• AVOID THIS PIECE OF CRAP LIKE THE PLAGUE
5. city color cosmetics creamy lip stain in flirtini -- this didn't dry down and got onto anything i ate or drank. the staining power was negligible.
• product was given away

march

1. nyx butter lipstick in hunk -- while it's a great color, i couldn't really find myself wearing it. 
• product was given away
2. pur-lisse pur-delicate gentle soymilk cleanser & makeup remover -- this product was ok. i'm not so sure if i'd use this directly on a completely made-up face, but it seemed to work well.
• product was finished
3. boo-boo cover-up concealer in medium -- this was too dark for me.
• product was given away
4. dr. brand pores no more anti-aging mattifying lotion -- i wasn't a fan of their regular pores no more...
• product was given away
5. vintage by jessica liebeskind illuminating face highlighter -- this is such a pretty pink highlight!

april

1. elizabeth arden beautiful color moisturizing lipstick in red door red -- while i really liked this color, i'm thinking of giving it away since i'm probably not going to wear it much.
2. mullein & sparrow mini lip & cheek tint -- this was kinda oily feeling and where's the tint??? i didn't see any!
• product was given away
3. mica beauty eye primer -- it's thicker in texture, but similar to nyx eye primer in skintone. the nyx spreads out nicely and matches my skin color. this was orangy on me.
• product was given away
4. theBalm nudeDude shadow single in fit -- this is such a pretty gold shadow!
5. pandora's makeup box pink carnation blush -- i never got around to using this blush. i think i tried once, but i forget. if i remember right, it does kick up a bit of dust with a brush though. really pretty color.

may

1. briogeo rosarco milk reparative leave-in conditioning spray -- this stuff is ok. it smells a little salon-y when you first spray it in, but the scent doesn't linger.
2. it cosmetics your skin but better cc+ cream with spf 50+ in medium -- this was too dark for me.
• product was given away
3. skone cosmetics pretty eyes automatic eyeliner in navy -- this was way creamier than i wanted to deal with. it was navy colored in the pencil, but swatched, it was closer to a medium blue.
• product was given away
4. klorane smoothing and relaxing patches -- these were interesting. i'd never used this type of product before, so it took a few tries to even place them on correctly...and it still felt too close to my eye when i blinked... at first these felt a bit cooling. after a while, my skin felt itchy and warm, and by the 20 minute mark (when to remove them), i didn't feel like there was any difference.
• used one, gave one away
5. urban decay mini 24/7 lip pencil in ozone & gloss samples in failbait & bittersweet -- failbait is such a pretty color! i'm not 100% on this formula mostly because i'm not huge into glosses, but it's nice! i never really got around to using the lip liner. aside from sheer laziness, i don't know why i never got around to trying this item out. i definitely eventually will. but at the time of this posting, i've only swatched it on my hand a few times.
• bittersweet gloss sample was given away
6. indie lee brightening cleanser -- i only just recently opened this guy up and it's not too bad. i didn't really notice any brightening effect, but my face does feel clean when i use it and doesn't irritate it. the scent's not bad either, not super perfume-y like their CoQ-10 toner.

june

1. formula x for sephora mini in power source -- i love formula x, but this is not really my color, so i gave it away.
• product was given away
2. smashbox photo finish foundation primer -- looove lovve love this primer.
• product was finished
3. tre'StiQue mini shadow crayon in marimoto pink pearl -- this was an unexpected gem! i really enjoy using this. very comparable to laura mercier caviar sticks or loreal infallible shadow sticks.
4. jules and esther vitamin c serum -- i never got around to using this. i'll try to make a better effort in using this.
5. biorepublic skincare sheet masks in aloe rescue (revitalizing), cucumber breeze (soothing), and green tea (detox) -- like i said before, i probably won't be repurchasing these because of the cost, but the quality of the paper they used for these masks was really nice. for reviews of cucumber breeze & green tea, see my june empties post. for the aloe rescue review, see my december empties post.
• products were finished

july

1. tarte mini amazonian clay bronzer in park ave princess -- this is a really great product! i already had one, so i saved it to give away.
• product was given away as a gift
2. bella pierre mineral lipstick in P.I.N.K. -- while i really liked how this looked, i wasn't sure how often i'd be wearing it. so i gave it away.
• product was given away
3. eva nyc freshen up dry shampoo -- i only used this once because i couldn't find the one i had open at the time, but i liked it. i'll have to elaborate more whenever i get around to using it up.
4. ofra cosmetics bliss eyeshadow -- this is the most freaking gorgeous shadow/highlight ever. so freaking pretty and i love it!
5. jersey shore sun mongongo vanilla coconut cream lip conditioner -- pretty good lip balm, has the texture that i like, but the scent is really confusing to me. it smells as it says..but it's kinda crazy.
6. it cosmetics brow power universal eyebrow pencil -- i really enjoy using this pencil. i will say that the elliptical shape is a little weird from an application standpoint, but i really enjoyed the color and the spoolie on the other end.

august

1. doucee ultra precision eyeliner in black -- [worn in the waterline] this isn't quite as good as my favorite rimmel scandalEyes kohl kajal liner in black, but it still works similarly. it takes a little more effort to apply as dark and pigmented, but it lasts just as long. cost-wise, go for the rimmel liner.
2. marc anthony nourishing argan oil treatment -- this smells so yummmm. made my hair feel and smell great!
• product was finished
3. la fresh good night night cream -- this really was not very moisturizing to me. i only tested this on my hand and it was really weird and dried down too fast. for a night cream, you normally think of something heavier or feeling somewhat more luxurious...this was definitely not that.
• product was given away
4. hikari cosmetics lip gloss in merlot -- while i thought this formula was pretty nice, i'm not sure how i feel about this color on me. like it works, but i don't know... and since i'm not huge into glosses, i think this'll get more love elsewhere.
• product was given away
5. lord & berry ultimate lipcolor & liner in nude -- this is actually a pretty great mlbb shade for me. i'm not huge into using lip liners, but this one might be the exception. 

september

1. nyx x ipsy eyeshadow trio -- this is actually a pretty nice little set! i'm not huge into super dark eyeshadows, but the other two are just perfect!
2. thebalm put a lid on it eye primer -- this primer was ok. i mostly didn't like how wet the texture of it was.
• product was given away
3. formula x for sephora nail color in ignite -- as stated in my haul post, i already have a full size of this, so i gave it away.
• product was given away
4. glamglow flashmud -- i really enjoyed using this mask. whether it actually brightens your skin or not..i'm not totally sure, but it was still a pleasant experience.
• product was finished
5. not soap, radio the phoenix hand/body lotion (persimmon & plum scented) -- this is such a great scent! i loved using this lotion. it had the right consistency and absorbed pretty fast, but it still felt like it was working its "magic" without feeling sticky or tacky for very long.
6. la fresh hello. lip treat lip balm -- this lip balm, while it felt nice, chapped me. so sadly, i passed it off because my lips did not like something in this product!
• product was given away

october

1. theBalm meet matte hughes long lasting liquid lipstick in committed -- this is such a strange product. it does dry down matte, but my lips still stick together...? no. just no.
• product was given away
2. nourish organic pure hydrating argan face serum -- this product kind of weirded me out. i'm still not into the oil is ok on your face thing--even though, i should be over it. but i'm not....
• product was given away
3. emite make up professional slant tweezer -- these seemed only ok. and i have several trusty pairs of tweezerman tweezers, so i passed them off to a friend.
• product was given away
4. balanced guru scrub me body scrub -- i couldn't tolerate the scent of this..so i passed it off.
• product was given away
5. aurora gel effect nail polish in inky dinky -- tried this on my toes and it lasted about a week before chipping, which is kind of short for me..idk. i do like the color, but not too sure about the formula.
6. luxie beauty tapered blending eye brush 205 -- this is my new favorite fluffy crease/blending brush. i really want to get another!

november

1. trestique matte lip crayon in chile red -- this is not really my color or suited for my skintone, so i passed this off to a friend. i did think the formula was pretty nice though.
• product was given away
2. skin inc pure revival peel -- this was an interesting product. it felt like a weird gel that you put on for 10 seconds, then start rubbing in circular motions before rinsing off. my skin did feel a bit nicer and smoother afterward, but i'm not sure i'd be repurchasing this.
3. smashbox full exposure mascara -- this did nothing for my lashes. i am looking for volume and length, and this gave me a teensy bit of length and separation.
• product was given away
4. luxie beauty matte eyeshadow pan in aubergine (#290) -- this actually surprised me. i ended up enjoying using this in the crease as a dark grayish-purplish corner color.
5. jelly pong pong liquid gossamer -- this is a great product, only complaint is that the packaging is awful. this has a gel-like consistency but can blend, smooth, and dry very nicely on the skin. the packaging is awful because it's like a tube of toothpaste, there's no nozzle, so you can easily dispense like a month's worth of product on accident.

december

1. tarte smooth operator finishing powder -- i still have yet to open or use the one i had before receiving this one, but i went ahead and gave this away.
• product was given away
2. elizabeth mott thank me later eyeshadow primer -- this is actually a pretty good eyeshadow primer. dare i say it's comparable to urban decay or too faced?
3. rickycare by ricky's nyc classic 3D blender -- i actually ended up trying this out and i liked it quite a lot. i'm toying with the idea of repurchasing.
4. marc anthony coconut oil and shea butter deep conditioning treatment -- this was a really nice deep conditioner. not sure if it was really my favorite though.
• product was finished
5. pacifica power of love natural lipstick in nudie red -- not sure what was up with this product, but  i ended up giving it away.
• product was given away

* Affiliate link.