Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip Kit

I was shopping in Sephora the other day and I saw this Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip kit. I instantly put it in my basket. This kit retails for 30 dollars Canadian (25 dollars American) and one of these lip products is full size! Here is a review and swatches of the kit.

How cute is this packaging?!

Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Rose

I own one of the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments already so when I saw this in the kit, I decided to pass it along to my mom (she LOVES this line of lip products). This product is a light tint of pink. It is very moisturizing. I didn't swatch this one because I was passing it along.




Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lip in Lolita

The famous and hard to find Lolita was in this kit, YAAASSS! If you have wanted to try Lolita, this may be the easiest way to try it. I have heard nothing but good things about this lip product line, so I am very excited to try it. However, I thought Lolita was more on the pink side but when I swatched it, it was very brown in colour.

Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi Gloss in 202

Everyone in the Beauty community has been loving these but my first impression of this gloss is not good. This gloss is extremely sticky, so sticky it makes a pop sound when you pull the applicator out of the tube! This gloss did feel comfortable on my lips but it didn't show up very well. This gloss might work great to top lipsticks with.


Marc Jacobs Le Marc lipstick in Je T'aime

This is my first Marc Jacobs beauty product and it's the cutest mini ever! The packaging is adorable and this color is beautiful (the swatch picture does it no justice). This lipstick felt very creamy when swatched and the color payoff was incredible! This lipstick also left a bit of a stain too.


Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion in 19 Peony

I thought this product was going to be more like a lip gloss but it is actually a lip stain. This product has great color payoff! I haven't worn it on my lips yet but I have high hopes for it.


Tarte Amazonian Butter lipstick in Coral Blossom

This is the full size product! I love the Tarte Butter lipsticks because they have a great colour payoff, moisturizing and are very easy to apply. I also love that I don't need to apply a lip liner with these lipsticks. When I first saw this lipstick, I thought it had a bit of glitter or shimmer in it, when applied it looked so natural and you couldn't tell that there was shimmer or anything in it.

Overall, I think this lip kit is perfect to try some hard to find colors ( aka Lolita) and some higher end lips products, like the Marc Jacobs lipstick. This kit was strictly pinks, so I'm hoping Sephora comes out with other lip kits in other shades.

Have you picked this kit up? Any lip product you're excited to try? Let me know in the comments!

Stay beautiful,
Sarah

August Ipsy Unboxing

I recently received my August 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).

This month's theme was Prep School.

Here is what I got in my August Ipsy bag.

Lord & Berry Lip Color and Liner in nude

I'm never upset when I get a lip colour or lip liner! This lip product is the "wooden pencil" type meaning it will have to be sharpen. This product glided smoothly when I swatched it and it had a great color pay off. I am a little disappointed in the color because I find it a little to brown to be used with the lipsticks I own but I'm sure I will find a use it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

As much as I have been hatin' on Ipsy for sending me hair products, I was actually happy to receive this. I LOVE Batiste dry shampoo!! I rave about it a lot so I will only say that this dry shampoo does an incredible job of soaking up excess oil and although it does leave some white residue, once you work it into the hair, the residue is gone. I wasn't a huge fan of the floral scent but it grew on me!


Hikari Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Salsa


This lip gloss has incredible pigmentation and the colour is beautiful! It does leave a bit of a stain behind when it is wiped away. This gloss is a very sticky and thick which makes me not like it. The gloss also smells very strongly of plastic.



Jessie's Girl Eye Shadow Primer

I found this eye shadow primer to be a little watery when I first went to use it. After applying it, this primer seemed to fix any discoloration I had on my eyelids and it also did a pretty good job keeping my eye shadow in place and my eye shadow didn't crease.




Pencil Me In Eye Liner in Boysenberry

This liner is the right amount of creamy. It glides across the skin which makes me think it can be smudged easily. I really really really love the colour of this liner, it is like a blue-purple-black all mixed together.


That is everything that came in my Ipsy bag. Overall, I am rating this bag 3 and a half stars out of five because I am excited about the Batiste dry shampoo, the eyeliner and the eye shadow primer. I gave half a star because although I never turn down a lip liner, it's just a little to brown. The lip gloss is a great colour but it is too sticky and smells bad.
Are you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your August 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*

Bellabe Review

The Bellabe is a facial hair removal device that is an easy alternative to threading or waxing. Bellabe is just for facial hair and works best on hair on the upper lip, chin, cheeks and side burns.

The Bellabe in the colour Sweet Pink

To use the Bellabe, you bend the product to make a upside down U. You then twist both of the coloured ends. This makes the spring rotate which is what is used to remove the unwanted hair.

The upside down U

The Positives

- The Bellabe was very easy to use by your self!
- There was no pain when the hair was removed. There was a slight tug but it was practically painless compared to other hair removal methods.
- Bellabe hair removal process was very quick. Perfect for doing quick touch ups.
- The Bellabe is also very easy to clean and it is a very quick cleaning process.
- The Bellabe has a cheaper price tag to waxing salons. The Bellabe costs 15 dollars Canadian.

The Negatives

- The Bellabe was hard to position for certain areas like the chin.
- I found that the Bellabe was not great for precise areas such as around the brows. I tried to remove stray hair above my brow and ended up removing some brow hairs.
- Not the most travel friendly.  It's not bulky and it won't take up a ton of room but it is bigger than a pair of tweezers.
- I also found that the Bellabe was not the greatest for large areas or large amounts of hair. I personally feel like the Bellabe is good for a few stray hairs here or there. Large areas or large amounts of hair may be easier to use other hair removal processes such as waxing.

Size comparison of the Bellabe and tweezers

Overall, I feel that the Bellabe is a great painless and quick method to remove stray hairs. Although I wouldn't use it for very precise hair removal.

You can purchase the Bellabe from Nail Polish Canada. The Bellabe comes in eight different colours (mine is the Sweet Pink shade). For 15 dollars Canadian (plus free shipping), it is a great purchase if you are looking for an easier hair removal option.

Nail Polish Canada is a Canadian website that provides Canadians with a wide array of nail polish and nail items. With free shipping over 25 dollars or a flat rate shipping of 3 dollars for any order under 25 dollars, it is a great website for anyone looking for nail polishes or nail products in Canada. They also have a great rewards system with some awesome rewards!

Stay Beautiful,
Sarah.

*NOTE: This box was provided to me. My opinion was NOT swayed because of this. Please see my disclaimer for more information.*

July Ipsy Unboxing

I recently received my July 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).

After my horrible June Ipsy bag, I was a little hesitant to continue receiving a bag again but I decided to stick with Ipsy until my one year mark which is August.

Here is what I got in my July Ipsy bag.

This month's theme is Summer Lovin' (Accidently threw out the card, oops!)

Essie polish in Fashion Playground

I was very excited to see this in my bag! I was even more excited when I found out it was a FULL size bottle! This color is perfect and the fact that it has a slight shimmer to it makes it even prettier. When I applied this color is was very sheer and needed at least 2 coats to make it opaque.

Be a Bombshell Lip Balm in French Kiss

I wasn't overly excited to see this product in my bag but I was even more let down when I saw it was the light pink shade and not the red one. I can't even swatch this for a picture because it is basically clear when applied. I also find that Be a Bombshell products always have a gross scent to them.





City Color Cosmetics HD Powder

I was excited to receive this product because I always want to try new setting powders. This setting powder came in the loose powder form, which I am not a fan of because the powder gets everywhere, its hard to use and it is really easy to waste product. I have only used this powder twice and I liked it. It felt soft on the skin and it blended nicely. I also used this product to set a bold lip colour and it did the job perfectly. If Ipsy sent this product in the pressed powder form, I feel like more people would enjoy it, I know I certainly would.

Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up Exfoliating Cleanser

This cleanser is made with papaya and aloe. The exfoliating crystals in this product are very fine! I have used this product twice now an I found that this product wasn't harsh on the skin and it actually did a great job of exfoliating and brightening the skin.





Octavio Molina Hair Sea Salt Spray

Ipsy, you really need to stop sending me hair products like this. This sea salt spray can be used on wet or dry hair to give your hair a beachy look. Since, I don't use hair products like this one, this product was a major let down.


That is everything that came in my Ipsy bag. Overall, I am rating this bag 2 and a half stars out of five because I am excited about the Essie polish and the exfoliating cleanser. I gave half a star because although I like the HD powder, I would have liked a pressed version. The sea salt spray is not something I will use and the lip balm is not a great colour and it smells gross.
Are you a subscriber to Ipsy? What did you get in your July 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*

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