Empties

I've been finishing up a few things in my stash. I don't have a lot of empties but I like doing empties posts as soon as possible so I don't have a ton of empty products sitting around.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

I had the small tub of these that I got in this kit from Sephora. I had a love-hate relationship with this product because although I didn't see any difference in my skin, I liked using these when I travelled. Also, I found these pads burned when I had dry patches.






Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer Light

I bought the travel size of this product because I was curious about the difference between this primer and the original PhotoFinish Primer. The light version felt lighter on the skin and it wasn't as silicone-y in texture as the original. Honestly, I like the light version better.





Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser

I loved using this product to wash my beauty blenders and my brushes. It was super easy to use and it did a great job of washing all the old makeup out. Although this product is a bit expensive, it lasted me a little over 6 months.







Sephora Brand Makeup Removing cloths

I bought this product because I needed something to remove my makeup because I forgot my makeup remover at home. These cloths were strong and durable and I liked that they had the perfect amount of wetness to them. I didn't use this product to remove any eye makeup but it did a great job removing foundation. I didn't find these cloths to be any cheaper or more expensive than cloths you
can buy at the drugstore.


Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser

I got this tiny sample when I used a promo code while placing an online Sephora order and let me just say I want more of this cleanser. This product is like a jelly that transforms into an oil once you put it on your skin and when you add water it turns it a milky consistency. This cleanser did a great job removing makeup and cleaning my skin. I was literally scraping the bottom of the jar to get more of this product.



Sephora Brand Perfecting Ultra Smoothing Primer

I bought this primer on a whim because I was in need of one. This primer reminded me of the Smashbox PhotoFinish primer as it felt silicone-y. This product did the job as it made my make up last longer and it provided a good base for my makeup.






That is all my beauty empties! What products have you finished up lately? Any new found loves?

Stay beautiful
Sarah

June Ipsy Unboxing

I recently received my June Ipsy bag. For those who do not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that is completely customized to you. Each month, they send you a themed cosmetic bag filled with  four to five make up items, tools, shampoo, conditioner etc. It is ten dollars American (For Canadians add 4.95 for shipping). Here is what I got in my June Ipsy bag.

This month's theme is Swim into Beauty. The bag feels like bathing suit material, I'm digging it.



Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

I have tried this primer numerous times and I was a little disappointed to receive because I already know I like this product. But I'm not overly upset because I always need primer.





Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner

This product is a black head extractor mask. When I saw this product in my preview, I wasn't excited about it but when I received my bag and read what this product actually was, I had very high hopes. I tried this product before writing this post and unfortunately this product did absolutely nothing! I tried it on both myself, my boyfriend and my brother (shout out to them), there was no difference in any blackheads or pores.


Pure Brazilian Leave-In Conditioner

This conditioner is formulated with Keratin to give you gorgeous silky smooth hair. This product is also safe to use on color treated hair. I don't try different hair products so I will be passing this product along.





Shea Moisture Lipstick Pencil

heart eyes emoji

This is my top favorite product I have every received from Ipsy. This lipstick pencil is in the shade Sarah, so this color was meant to be. This shade is my perfect raspberry shade!! It does have a bit of a glossy like shine to it but it does stain the lips a bit, making it easy to go without touching up. I'm also really excited to have a lipstick named after me! :P


Trestique in Aspen Pine

This is a mini eye shadow pencil. When I saw this product online, you could get it in one of the numerous colors and I hoped for the pearl-rose color one because I thought it looked the best. Unfortunately Ipsy decided that I need a moss/mold green color... Here's to say I won't be using this product because of this color and because this product is too sparkly. A matte version of this might have been doable.

That is everything that came in my Ipsy bag. Overall, I am rating this bag 1 and a half stars out of five because I am excited about the Shea Moisture lipstick. I gave half a star because although I always need primers, I already  know I like the Smashbox one. The leave in conditioner is not something I will use, the blackhead mask did not work at all and the shadow pencil is a terrible color.

This bag has received the lowest rating ever and I'm seriously considering canceling. Are you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your June bag? Let me know in the comments below.

If you would like to sign up for Ipsy, please use my link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1ik8u?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

Stay beautiful
Sarah

*NOTE: The Ipsy link is an affiliated link. It gets me points that I can redeem for an extra product. Thank you*

May Favorites + Update

I'm back!! After my laptop died and I thought I lost all the pictures I took, I was not happy. Last week I checked my camera and found that I didn't transfer the pictures to my laptop. So, I'm back and I will be posting every day this week! I apologize for the longer hiatus but everything is back to normal.

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On to the my monthly favorites! I didn't have a lot of favorites this month but I have been loving some pretty great items.

ELF Makeup wipes

These wipes are amazing. They are super soft and the right amount of dampness, These wipes are only 3 dollars which is a steal for how good they are. I haven't used these wipes on my eyes but these wipes remove face makeup with ease.


Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous foundation

This is an oil free foundation that is supposed to provided a flawless natural look. I believe this foundation lives up to its claim. I love that it lasts all day and it evens out my skin tone. This foundation is a medium to full coverage which is perfect during the summer when you don't want to wear a ton of makeup. I will say that this foundation does tend to turn a bit orange.


Maybelline Master Conceal

This is an amazing concealer from the drugstore. This concealer has amazing coverage and it is easy to blend. I will be writing a full review on this product and I will go into more detail about it.


Smashbox Halo Powder

I got this product in a Try it Kit from Sephora. I really love this powder because it is very easy to use. This powder blends easily and looks amazing on the skin without looking cakey. I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush with this product.





YSL Volupte Tint in Oil in Number 5

I thought this product was a huge money grab until I heard so many great  reviews. This product is a tinted oil for your lips but it is works like magic. The oil goes on glossy at first and leaves a beautiful shine on the lips. As this product dries the shine goes away and the color becomes more pigmented and becomes like a stain on the lips. The oil sinks into the lips and actually nourishes them.

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

I first tried this cleanser in this 30 day pack and I fell in love with it. This cleanser is made with 1.5% salicylic acid making it perfect for acne prone skin. I do find this cleanser can be drying if used to much so I tend to use it only when I need it and I make sure to moisturize. I have seen an improvement in my skin and my acne when I use this cleanser.


That is all the products I have been loving this month. What have you been loving?

Stay beautiful
Sarah

Empties

I've been hoarding these empty products for a while now so be prepared for a longer post today.



Boscia Luminizing Black mask

I personally love peel off masks however, I did find this one to be a bit strong. This mask is supposed to detoxify and purify the skin. The mask did this job well but I found the scent to be a little strong and sometimes this product was a little to harsh on my skin.

Tarte Gifted Mascara

I loved the natural look this mascara gave my lashes and it held a curl pretty well. However, the Amazonian clay that is infused into this mascara irritated my eyes and caused them to water. If you have been interested in trying this mascara, I suggest buying the travel size like I did incase the clay irritates your eyes.




Batiste Dry Shampoo

This is my favorite dry shampoo. It does leave a white cast when sprayed into the hair but it goes away quickly when you rub it in. I like the different scents this shampoo comes in as well. This shampoo does a great job of soaking up the oils as well.


Sephora Collection Paper Masks

I have written a whole post on these masks (here), so I will just say that these masks are incredible and they do have great skin care benefits. I highly recommend the Green Tea one if you have acne prone skin or the Lotus one if you have dry skin.




Quo Make Up Removing Wipes: Eye

These are my favorite make up removing wipes for the eyes. I have raved about them before so I will keep this short. These remove all of my make up in a single wipe. Sometimes when I wear heavier eye make up I did have to wipe my eyes a couple of times. These Quo products are only available in Canada.

Quo Make Up Removing Wipes: Face

These removing wipes were not like the eye ones at all. I found these wipes had a strong scent and they stung my eyes. I used these wipes primarily to remove swatches off of my hand. These Quo products are only available in Canada.




Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

This powder is my favorite setting powder from the drugstore. I have talked about this product before. I love this powder to keep everything matte. I also find it hard to pack too much of this product on to the skin.


Clinique Super Primer in Color Correcting

I used the universal shade of this primer and I really liked it and this color correcting one was no different. I did see a difference in the redness in my skin when I used this product. It did extend the wear of my makeup as well.




Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

This eye cream felt very refreshing under my eyes. It also has a slight pink-pearly color which provided a brightening effect under the eyes as well. Out of this sample, I got about 15 uses as you only need a small amount.

Clinique Super Primer in Universal

This primer did color correct some of the redness on my skin (not as much as the yellow one did). This primer is light weight and oil free. It did a great job at extending the wear of my makeup.





Gosh Lengthing mascara

This mascara gave my lashes amazing length and it held a curl nicely. This mascara did have some clumps to it towards the end of the length of its life and it did smudge a bit under my lower lashes.

Covergirl 3 in 1 foundation

I wrote a review on this foundation (here). This foundation has a great medium coverage but it can be built up. I don't believe that this foundation lives up to the built in primer and concealer claims as I still had to wear a primer for it to last a full 8 hours and I still used concealer because sometimes it didn't cover everything.




Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara

This is a clear gel mascara that can be used on both the lashes and the brows. I was personally using this product to set my brows. It did a nice job of holding my brows in place without the hard, crusty feeling.

Hey Honey Exfoliating Mask

This is a peel off mask that I received in one of my Ipsy bags. I really liked this mask as it did the job and it left my skin feeling smooth and soft.





WOOO. That's all for this super long empties post. What products have you finished up?

Stay beautiful,
Sarah

Lisa Fragrance Sale Haul

I was invited to go to the Lisa Fragrance Sale. This is basically a warehouse sale where you can buy brand name perfumes for half the price or sometimes more. This sale also has nail polish, make up and other personal care items like shampoo. I mostly go for the fragrances because it is such a good deal. This sale is still happening and I highly suggest going if you are in the area.

I didn't get any fragrances this time but I did get a some makeup items.

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Mascara

This is a lengthening mascara that is supposed to last for 24 hours. This mascara claims that is won't flake, smear or smudge. This mascara also claims to be tear proof, sweat proof, and humidity proof. I can't wait to put these claims to the test.





Annabelle Skin True Makeup

This is a natural and lightweight foundation. This foundation is supposed to be transfer- resistant while giving a flawless uniform complexion with a natural 'delicate' matte finish. This natural makeup is supposed to give the ultimate no makeup feel with seamless blending. This foundation is made with enriched with vitamins A,C and E, chamomile, green tea and aloe. These ingredients helps protect against free radicals and soothes the skin.

Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions

this mascara has a buildable fiber formula to give your lashes more volume and length. The curved brush helps to sweep away clumps. This gives the lashes more volume, length and a more separated look.





Annabelle Concealer

This is skin perfecting concealer. The concealer does claim to be a BB concealer (not really sure what it means by that). This concealer is in a stick form.

Covergirl TruBlend Foundation

This foundation is supposed to blend seamless into your skin. There is 21 shades to choose from in this line. I really like that this foundation has a pump which makes it easy to get the right amount of product.





Marcelle I-Bronze

This item is a self-tanning cloths. This product got me very curious as it is supposed to give the skin a golden, natural, streak-free tan with one simple swipe of this cloth. These clothes can be used on the face and body.

That is all the makeup items I picked up at the Lisa Sale. What items have you bought recently?

Stay Beautiful,
Sarah

PS. There will be no April Faves as most of the products I am loving are from March.

April Ipsy Unboxing

I recently received my April Ipsy bag. For those who do not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that is completely customized to you. Each month, they send you a themed cosmetic bag filled with  four to five make up items, tools, shampoo, conditioner etc. It is ten dollars American (For Canadians add 4.95 for shipping). Here is what I got in my April Ipsy bag.

This month's theme is Beautifully Bohemian. Also, I'm not a huge fan of this bag.

Essence Lash Princess Mascara

This mascara gives dramatic volume. The brush on this mascara is curved to give your lashes the maximum amount of volume possible. This mascara is a new product for Essence Cosmetics. I tried this mascara when and I have to say I don't really like it.

Jor'el Parker Femina Fragrance

This fragrance has a very light feminine scent, which I am enjoying. I have no idea what notes it has in it but it smells a bit like another perfume. This product comes in roller ball form which makes it easy to apply and travel with.





Starlooks Lip Gloss in Cuddle

In the tube the lip gloss looks like a bronze shade with glitter in it. When swatched this lip gloss colour completely disappears and all that is left is glitter. This gloss is also very sticky. This lip gloss has a nice vanilla scent to it.




Theorie Argan Oil Hair Treatment

This is a hair treatment made with Argan oil. Hair treatments are not my thing so I passed this along to my mother.







The Balm Nude Dude eye shadow in Fit

This is a nude shadow that has sheen finish to it. This shadow is very pigmented and it is a bronze shade. This is my first The Balm product and I am very happy with it.




That is everything that came in my Ipsy bag. Overall, I am rating this bag two and a half stars out of five because I am excited about the Balm eye shadow and the perfume. I gave half a star because although I like to try mascaras, this mascara just wasn't for me. The hair treatment and the lip gloss were complete duds in my books. Are you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your April bag? Let me know in the comments below

If you would like to sign up for Ipsy, please use my link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1ik8u?sid=ipsypoints&cid=general

Stay beautiful
Sarah

*NOTE: The Ipsy link is an affiliated link. It gets me points that I can redeem for an extra product. Thank you*

Makeup Shakeup; Spring

With it being officially spring and it is actually starting to feel like it here in Canada, I thought this would be the perfect time share how I where my makeup differently in the Spring time.

During the warmer months, I tend to wearing lighter foundations and ones that are dewy and give me  some glow. My favorite foundation for this is the L'Oreal True Match Lumi foundation.

I also tend to shy away from winged liner in the spring. I do still wear it but not as often as I do in the winter.  I really like to focus on shadows that a shimmery and I like to have long lashes.

Some great shimmery shadows are the Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight and Champagne. Since these are actually an eye shadow primer, they are long lasting and they won't crease. I also like the Maybelline Color Tattoos in Barely Branded and Inked in Pink.

For my lashes, I have been really in love with the Tarte Gifted mascara. But any lengthening mascara will work.

On my lips, I tend to go for sheer balm type lip products. I also like to wear brighter colors. My favorite right now are the Revlon Lip Butters.

Also for the lip, you could use the jumbo crayons. These crayons are great for quick application and they give a good amount of color. My favorite crayon lip products are the Revlon Colourburst Balm Stain and the Tarte LipSurgence

Finally on my nails I like to use pastel nail polishes. My current favorite pastel polishes come from the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant line.

How do you switch up your makeup for the spring?

Stay beautiful
Sarah