Ulta Platinum GWP Bag

I recently achieved Ulta Platinum status and blew my points on a massive order. This allowed me to get this 28 piece gift bag for free. And this thing is MASSIVE.

Also, I love the holographic material. I don't like it as much as my Tarte unicorn skin bag, but it is still fun. I don't even hate the tassel.

There is so much going on in here. I think the $268 value estimate is definitely accurate.

My favorites so far include the Becca highlighter, a Tarteist lip paint, Stila lippy, and an ABH stick foundation. The foundation is too dark for me, of course, but I think I can use it as a cream contour.
 

Collection: My Non-Black Eyeliners (that I am currently using)

Despite my usual style of being mostly ~goth af~, I do not like to wear black eyeliner on my bottom eyelid. I feel that it makes my eyes look smaller and heavier. Not typically the look I am personally going for, but if it is your thing, you do you. I have a very boring collection of black eyeliners going at any one time, but that's not what this post is about.

BEHOLD. My non-black eyeliners. I do lean heavily towards purple, but I have some other fun ones going at the moment.

My purples:

From left to right:

1. Tarte
2. A cheapo twist up from Beauty Box 5
3. Discontinued L'Oreal from Big Lots
4. Urban Decay
5. Sephora brand

Purples swatched from bottom to top:

Miscellaneous colors:

From left to right:

1. Pretty jade green from Iikia

2. A deep green from Tarte

3. Brown from Sigma

4. NYX Faux Black in Onyx

5. MYX Faux Black in Oxblood

6. A gorgeous coppery orange from Zao

7. Starlooks pencil in amythest

8. A silky silver from Cynthia Rowley

Miscellaneous swatched from bottom to top:

After digging around and swatching these I had the following thoughts:

1. Screw the purple Urban Decay liner. It always flakes off and I find chunks of it sitting on my cheeks all day. On to the fail pile it goes!
2. NYX Faux Blacks rule super hard. I'm not sure what color "onyx" is supposed to be, but I love it.
3. The brown Sigma liner is very close to making a trip to the fail pile. It's hard and just really uncomfortable to apply.
4. Shimmery metallic eyeliners are great in theory. Not when you put them on your lower lid and walk out into the sun and are immediately blinded but the glare.
5. I need a gold eyeliner.
6. I should probably buy some more purple eyeliners.

Travel Empties - Malta Edition

I just got back from Malta where I mostly managed to look ~okay~ despite the fact that every hotel I stayed at had the worst lighting ever and it was hot as shit outside. Not that any of that stopped me from attempting to wear makeup or black clothes every day.

I also cut six inches off of my hair before this trip because I did not want to deal with that shit every day. Or any day really.

Anyway, here are a few things I went through:

You know those paper perfume samples that fall out of you Ulta catalog? Don't toss those! I brought my stash along and it was nice to not only have a new scent every day, and to save some space while packing!

I was very disappointed with this Tarte Guard sunscreen sample. I got two small pumps out of it before it died.

The Ulta warming charcoal cleanser was weird. I don't know how or why, but it legitimately got HOT as I squeezed it out of the package and rubbed it on my face. I also got two uses out of this package, and it was warm both times. So that doesn't mean whatever voodoo is in here dies off as soon as it's opened. Strange, but I like charcoal products for my icky oily skin and this was nice to have on hand.

More perfume cards, and a Tarte bronzer/blush card. I got two uses out of the bronzer on this card, and four out of the blush. It doesn't look empty because the card is printed the same colors are the products. I liked the bronzer, and I already own this color of Tarte's blush, Glisten.

The other foil packet was some Elizabeth Arden face serum that was awesome. I slapped on the entire packet before bed one night and woke up with super hydrated skin.

I will be doing another post later on more details of my travel beauty routine and tips.

Tarte Custom Beauty Kit Haul

I love Tarte, and when I heard they were going to be offering their custom beauty kits again, I was all in! Even though they did raise the price from $59 to $63...I still bought two :)  Here is all of my loot:

First bag:

My husband says that every new makeup bag is my favorite makeup bag ever, but this is probably my favorite makeup bag ever. It's called "unicorn skin" and the photo does not do it justice. I'm obsessed.

In this bag I got:

Here are some of the colored items opened:

I love the minty smell of the Lipsurgence crayons, and I love all Tarte blushes. I have not opened the clay pot eyeliner yet, because I don't want it to dry out before I am ready to play with it. It looks super shimmery through the bottom of the glass though!

My next kit was in this gorgeous gold lined purple bag:

And the contents:

Some colored items:

I can't believe they had some of the Make Believe in Yourseld collection available! I am very excited to try this lip paint. I am pretty sure the CC stick is way too dark for me, even though it was the lightest shade they offered. The bronzer blush looks too pretty to use!

Including the bag in these 7 price kits, they break down to $9 an item. This is an insane deal for Tarte products. I am very excited to play with the sparkly liner and lip paint in particular.

January 2017 Empties

I'm on yet another business trip (nowhere exciting) so I have some hotel down time to catch up with empties. I was very pleased with my progress in January!

Foil packet madness:

I travel a lot so I love foil packets. 

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Price: $30.00 for a 6 oz tub

Opinion: This was a perfectly fine moisturizer. That's about all I have to say.

Purchase?: I'll pass. The price point is pretty good for a decent sized tub though.

Bare Minerals Skin Longevity Vital Power Infusion

Price: $48.00 for 1.7 oz

Opinion: I honestly don't remember too much about this in particular. I do know that I have liked all Bare Minerals products I have sampled or purchased.

Purchase?: No. If I can't remember much about it, it certainly didn't $48 "wow" me.

Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream

Price: $16.49 for 1.76 oz at Target

Opinion: This felt amazingly luxurious on my face. It was a nice thick gel that soaked in while leaking my skin super moist and yes, definitely plump (but in a good way).

Purchase?: I will likely be looking for this the next time I am at Target!

Bare Minerals Brilliant Future Age Defense & Renew Eye Cream

Price: $38.00 for 0.5 oz

Opinion: LOVED this. It was one of the few eye creams that I actually felt "did" something. It made my sad saggy undereye skin feel hydrated and plump all through the night until I woke up.

Purchase?: I have another packet of this to use, thankfully! And then I think I am on to some other eye cream samples. I definitely have this one earmarked for a potential future purchase/splurge.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Light Beige

Price: $39.00 for 1 oz

Opinion: I know this is an itty bitty sample, but it was my first time trying this formula so I wanted to share. This was just okay to me. The color did not match, since I seem to be getting paler by the minute. It was a serviceable enough foundation, didn't cause my oily skin to get too angry, but it just didn't "wow" me.

Purchase?: No. I can get similar or better performance out of a much cheaper product.

Makeup type items:

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Price: $15.00 for 1 oz, $31.00 for 4 oz

Opinion: LOOK AT ME using a different setting spray! I have always wanted to try this, but I have been soooo in love with my much lower priced NYX spray. I finally got to try this product thanks to my Sephora Play box and you know what? I didn't like it!! I don't think it performed any better than my NYX spray.....and I hated the smell! I think it smelled like bug spray. No me gusta!

Purchase?: Big fat NOPE on this one!

The Balm Put a Lid On It Eye Shadow Primer

Price: $18.00 for 0.4 oz

Opinion: My original love, before I discovered Urban Decay's Primer Potion. This was a mini I had in my travel bag that was a little old and started to separate.

Repurchase?: Not as long as I can keep getting UD on sale! Seriously, it seems to go for half off several times per year.

Cover FX Illuminating Primer

Price: $38.00 for 1 oz

Opinion: A decent enough primer. Nothing out of the ordinary - did its job just fine.

Purchase?: I actually recently scored my HG Laura Geller primer on Haute Look super cheap. It's a 3 oz tube that I am sure will last me forever. So no, I am not in the market for any more primer at the moment.

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Setting Powder

Price: $33.00 for 0.32 oz

Opinion: A VERY nice setting powder! My oily skin sucks this stuff right up. It was milled very finely and gave me a natural, soft finish.

Purchase?: I am knee deep in setting powders right now, but I will keep this on my list for when I run out.

Starlooks Pro Luxe Longwear Eyeliner Pen

Price: Out of stock, but was $12.00

Opinion: I somehow got two of these in a subscription box. My mom stole the black one, and I was left with this beautiful aubergine color. I used the crap out of this. The applicator tip was fantastic, and the staying power was unreal. I was super sad when this pen started to skip on me.

Repurchase?: I have mixed feelings on this. I love liquid eyeliner. I love pencil eyeliner. I go in phases with each. Right now I am playing with several different colored pencils. Also, I am not sure what the heck is going on with this brand lately. It is unlikely that I will be splurging on this product in my future.

Skin related things:

Simple Dual Effect Eye Make-Up Remover

Price: $7.99 for 3.5 oz

Opinion: I H-A-T-E-D this!! But I persevered and used the entire bottle because I am cheap. I greatly dislike oily makeup removal products. This was oily and barely worked. It was a chore to get through the entire bottle.

Repurchase?: Hell to the no!

Trader Joe's All-In-One Facial Cleanser

Price: I believe it was $5-7 for 8.45 oz

Opinion: This was a nice cleanser that I was happy to have occupy my shower. It was very gentle and lasted forever.

Repurchase?: Yes. I have a lot of other cleanser to get through at the moment, but you really cannot beat this for the price.

Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Serum

Price: $140 for 2.5 oz (!!!!)

Opinion: I really liked this, but I knew there was no hope of me ever spending the money on a full sized version.

Purchase?: No, this is way too expensive for me.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid

Price: $29.99 for 1.7 oz

Opinion: I decided to mix up my moisturizing routine by adding a little bit of sunscreen to use up this sample. This was actually very nice for a sunscreen. It didn't reek like most sunscreen, and it was indeed very light and not greasy. 

Purchase?: Probably not. I have some other products with SPF in them. Also, I really like the spray on stuff when I'm outside in the summer and need some good protection

Clinique All About Eyes

Price: $32.00 for 0.5 oz

Opinion: This was nice enough. It worked about as well as most eye creams I have tried, which means I did not notice much of a difference.

Purchase?: No. I'll be saving up for the Bare Minerals one.

IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Moisturizing Super Cream

Price: $48.00 for 2 oz

Opinion: I swear everything this brand makes gets hyped up beyond belief. That being said, this was a very nice product. It was probably the thickest moisturizer I have ever used. 

Purchase?: Since this is so thick, a little does go a long way. However, it is still a bit overpriced for me.

Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum

Price: On sale for $36.00 for 1.7 fl oz

Opinion: I got this forever ago in Glossy Box. It was probably the first fake tanner I ever used. I was scared to put it on my face at first, but the effect was very subtle. You can still use it a few days in a row and build up a little more color though. I did not like the smell, which I think was like fake tanner mixed with maple syrup. The consistency was also very weird. If you did not rub it into your face very quickly, it got pretty sticky. I used this bottle up by applying every few days so my face would match my foundation further into winter. 

Repurchase?: Likely not. I think I will be sticking to Jergen's for my fake tanning needs from here on out.

Miscellaneous:

Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment
Price: $20.00 for 3.38 oz
Opinion: I don't have anything to say about this product besides the packaging is TERRIBLE. It's in a glass freaking that dripped all over the place and made a huge mess. It looks like the full sized is the same way.
Purchase?: Ugh no. I can get cheaper hair oils that do not make messes.

Vince Camuto Amore
Price: $85.00 for 3.4 oz
Opinion: I love perfume. I am not even very picky about the scent. I have amassed a very large collection of very small vials, bottles, and roller balls. I have been trying to go through some of it rather than hoarding it lately, so you will likely see more empties on here. I used this one up over a couple of weeks once I obtained a duplicate. I did rather enjoy doing so.
Purchase?: I need to get through some of my minis before I even consider splurging on a full sized version of any scent.

Mall Mini Haul

Mini haul from the St. Louis Galleria mall today.

Urban Outfitters: rose perfume ($18 for 1 oz) and the NYX Strobe of Genius palette for 50% off! I'm a sucker for rose perfumes, and I have been lusting after this NYX release. They had three palettes left - two were shattered but one was perfect!

Lush: tea tree water spray. I'm always on the hunt for something that will keep my greasies at bay. I got the smaller size for $10.95. It smells and feels great but the mister is a little over zealous. 

Sephora: my birthday gift! A mini blush in the shade "Paaarty" and a mini Tarteist lip paint in "Birthday Suit". I hope the lip paint isn't too pink for my warm skin tone.

Empties - BONUS Travel Edition

I've been holed up in boring software classes and my hotel in DC all week. At least I got through some of the packets in my travel basket. Here is a quick review:

The shampoo and conditioner was fine.

The makeup wipe did its job.

I really liked the Tarte cleansing gel, and I got four uses out of this packet.

The Ahava serum barely had anything in the packet, but was okay I guess.

The Dermadoctor Vitamin C peel pad was a pad, did not peeling, and burned like hell.

The Shiseido eye cream was da bomb. I use eye treatments because I feel like I have to. I seldom notice a difference. After just a week, I actually noticed a big different in hydration and inflammation reduction of my under eye area. I am guessing this stuff is expensive.

The Nuxe moisturizer was nice. My skin drank it right up.