Products I Want to Use Up - 2014

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Last year I did a couple of posts about products I wanted to use up. It went okay. Looking back, I thought I had done more updates than I actually did.

I'm going to try it again this year.

When I went through and picked out the products that I plan on working on, there were a couple of things I looked at. Some of the products were chosen because they are products in which I've already made a big dent. I also chose products that were getting old.

Another motivation for doing this is to get rid of some of the products I own that aren't cruelty-free.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Fair - I've had this for a really long time, and you can see in the picture that I've used a lot of it, so I'd like to go ahead a finish this off.

Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia - This foundation is in the same boat. I've had it for a while, and it is about half gone, so I want to try and finish this one too. I know using up both will take a while.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer - I have several full-sized primers in my collection, so I decided to use up all of my mini sizes. This is the last mini size that I have. It's hard to see in the picture, but it is about half gone already.
 

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair - Benefit isn't a cruelty-free company, so I'd like to get this gone. I would guess I have about a third of this left.

Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer - I have a lot of bronzers, so I'm taking the same approach that I took with my primers. I'm using up my mini ones first. I'm just about to hit pan on this one.

Hard Candy Concealer Pencil - This little pencil came with the Glamoflage Concealer, which I threw out a long time ago. I've been using this to clean up the edges of my lips. I can't sharpen it anymore, so it should be finished in the next week or so.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA - I've had this for a long time, and it seems like it is drying out a little bit. It's crumbled a couple of times when I've tried to sharpen it. I've really like it though, and I might repurchase it once I work through some other concealers first.

Too Faced Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler - I got this in a swap a long time ago, and I tend to forget to use it.

Milani Eye Shadow in French Vanilla (largest pan) - I need to work my way through my extra matte browbone shades. Wet n Wild's Brulee is my absolute favorite, so I'd like to clear the clutter and stick with that one in the future.

ELF Shadow from the Day to Night Palette (triangular pan) - I pulled this out as a shadow to use up a while ago because the pan is relatively small. It's a cream with gold shimmer that I can use on the inner corners of my eyes nearly every day.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Funnel Cake (darker brown) - I have a ton of mineral eye shadows that I've pressed, and I don't use them often enough. I pulled this out because it is an easy crease shade. It does have some shimmer, but it doesn't show when applied.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Driftwood (lighter brown) - Another pressed mineral eye shadow. Again, I chose it because it is an easy color to use.

Stila Lip Glaze in Splendor - I was really sad when it came out that Stila is no longer cruelty-free. This is an easy gloss to throw on, so I hope I can finish it relatively quickly.

Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter - Chapstick isn't cruelty-free either, so this will be living in my pants pockets until it is gone. I have another Chapstick balm to go through after this one.

Tarte fRxtion Lip Scrub and Balm - Another old product. The darker side is the sugar scrub, and the white side is the balm. I have a feeling this will break off before I can finish it.

Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Candie and Tart Light - I have a lot of mineral blush samples sitting around, so I pulled out a couple to work on. 

Tarte Double-Ended Lip Liner - I got this at the same time that I got the lip scrub. The colors are okay, but I'm much more likely to swipe on a balm or gloss.

Stila Smudgestick Eye Liners - Again, with Stila's change in cruelty-free status, I'd like to clear out what I can. Eye liners are easier to go through than powder products, and these colors are pretty easy to wear, so I'm going to try and wear them as much as possible to finish them off.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencils in Whiskey and Rockstar - It should be pretty obvious why these made the list. They are nearly gone to begin with, so I might as well use them up.

Those are all the things that I specifically pulled to use up. I've already mentioned that I'm working on my stash of lotions too. I didn't add in any pictures of them because I'm going through them relatively quickly using them twice a day on my arms and legs.

Are you trying to use anything up in the new year?

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things Palette - One of My Favorite Things

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I haven't had very good luck with Too Faced eye shadow palettes. I've only tried a couple of them, but I wasn't overly impressed.

When I saw their A Few of My Favorite Things Palette pop up on Sephora.com, I couldn't resist giving it a try. With its mix of mostly light to medium neutrals and a few pops of color, it's something I think I would get a lot of use out of it. 

Price

This palette retails for for $56 and is a Sephora exclusive. It comes with 20 eye shadows, 2 blushes, 2 bronzers, 1 Lip Injection Color Bomb!, 1 mini Better Than Sex mascara, a clutch, and a look book. That breaks down to about $2 an item. 

Packaging

The clutch included with the set has a pink and gold chevron print and is big enough to hold the rest of the items in the kit. 

The palette itself has the same pink chevron print. It isn't overly decorated or bulky like some of Too Faced's past palettes. It has a magnetic closure. This is a little bulky for taking on short trips, but it would give nice variety for a longer vacation. I wouldn't feel comfortable just throwing it into a bag, but I would be comfortable taking it with some careful packing.

I'm going to go ahead and include this as part of the packaging. Just like with their other palettes, Too Faced included a look book. While I don't always use them, I love the thought behind it. These types of palettes can be overwhelming, so giving people a place to start with looks is a great addition.

Product

Eye Shadows

Row 1 swatches (from left to right): Snowflakes, Whiskers on Kittens, Milk Chocolate, Moon on Their Wings, Dark Chocolate

Snowflakes is a shimmery cream shade with a subtle gold tone.
Whiskers on Kittens is a soft pink/peach shade with sparse gold glitter.
Milk Chocolate is a matte, cool-toned medium brown.
Moon on Their Wings is a champagne shade with chunky glitter.
Dark Chocolate is a matte, cool-toned dark brown.

Here's a close-up shot of Whiskers on Kittens to show the gold glitter that doesn't show up in the wider shot. I haven't actually tired this shade yet, but I don't think I'm going to like it because I dislike Peach Fuzz (look below for comparison swatches). The base color is too sheer, and the gold glitter is too sparse.

Another close-up, this time of Moon on Their Wings to show the chunky glitter in it. I haven't used it yet, and I'll wait until I have a day at home when I can test it out because I have a feeling I'll end up looking like a fairy threw up on me.

Row 2 swatches from left to right: Cream Colored Ponies, Honey Honey, Buche de Noel, Evergreen, Blue Satin Sashes

Cream Colored Ponies is a matte cream shade that leans slightly yellow.
Honey Honey is a shimmery gold shade that leans slightly bronze.
Buche de Noel is a shimmery medium brown that has a bit of a green undertone.
Evergreen is a shimmery forest green shade.
Blue Satin Sashes is a gorgeous matte navy with multi-colored glitter.

Row 3 swatches from left to right: Coquet, Taffy, Crisp Apple Strudel, Woolen Mittens, and Soiree.

Coquet is a soft pink with a golden sheen.
Taffy is a cool-toned baby pink shade with a subtle satin finish.
Crisp Apple Strudel is a cool-toned shimmery brown.
Woolen Mittens is a medium-toned grey-brown shade that is matte.
Soiree is a burgundy shade with fine, multi-colored glitter.

Row 4 swatches from left to right: Tinsel, Bluff, Ooh La Orchid, Party Time, and Pure Glam

Tinsel is a shimmery sage green.
Bluff is a satin finish blue-based purple.
Ooh La Orchid is a bright matte purple that leans more red than it appears in my pictures.
Party Time has a sheer blue base with tons of fine blue shimmer. I haven't tried it yet, but it is gorgeous, and will be a really fun layering color.
Pure Glam is a matte black with lots of multi-colored glitter.

Here's a close up of Party Time to show off the shimmer of it better. Like I said, it's gorgeous!

One of the things that I haven't seen mentioned in the reviews I've read of this palette is that there are several shades that are nearly identical to other Too Faced shades from previous palettes. I don't have a lot of Too Faced Palettes, but I found several nearly identical shades when I compared the shades in this palette with the shades that were in the Glamourland palette from a couple of years ago.

Swatches from left to right: Tinsel, Honeymoon, Whiskers on Kittens, Peach Fuzz, Cream Colored Ponies, In the Buff, Coquet, and Silk Sheets.

Tinsel is the same depth but less yellow than Honeymoon. Whiskers on Kittens leans a little more pink than Peach Fuzz. Cream Colored Ponies has that yellow undertone whereas In the Buff is more of a pure cream shade. Coquet and Satin Sheets are essentially identical to my eyes.

Face Products

Swatches from left to right: Raindrops on Roses, Melt into Spring, Chocolate Soleil, and Sun Bunny.

Raindrops on Roses is a bright, cool-toned pink with gold shimmer.
Melt into Spring is a matte, muted coral shade.
Chocolate Soleil is a matte medium-toned bronzer. If you don't know about this bronzer, it has real cocoa in it, so it smells like chocolate. Yum!
Sun Bunny is a shimmery bronzer that leans warmer than Chocolate Soleil.

Extras

Included with the palette is a full-size Lip Injection Color Bomb! in the shade Bee Stung (exclusive to this set), which is a nude pink. This is a plumping lip product, and the stinging is INTENSE. I've only used it once so far, and I'm not overly tempted to use it again. If you have sensitive lips, I would avoid using this.

The set also comes with a mini Better Than Sex mascara. I haven't used this yet because I already have a couple of mascaras that I'm using right now. That's why I don't have a picture of the brush; I didn't want to open the tube yet. The brush has traditional bristles and an hourglass shape.

Final Thoughts

So far, I'm really happy with this palette. I haven't tried all of the shadows yet, but there are only two that seem to be duds (in my opinion) - Whiskers on Kittens and Moon on Their Wings. The mixtures of neutrals and brights along with the mixture of finishes makes it easy to create a variety of looks. The face products are a nice addition as well. Chocolate Soleil is a cult classic. I personally have to be a little careful when applying it, but I can make it work. If you can deal with the intensity of the lip product, you have can create a full face look with this one set.

There's only one more day left for the Sephora VIB sale, so if you've got a code and haven't ordered yet, I would suggest picking this set up.

Are you picking this set up? Did you take part in the Sephora VIB sale? I'm skipping out on it because I think I've got all of the holiday sets I really want (even though I would like to pick up some other ones).

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Girlactik Matte Bronzer in Cabo - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift code sent to me by Sindulge.com. I got the code because I am subscribed to receive their newsletter. Everyone who was signed up when the newsletter went out got the code. I have used my referral link in this post. All opinions are my own.

I figure this is a good post to follow closely on the heels of my one about trying to go cruelty-free.

Sometime around a year ago, I heard about a website called Sindulge.com (referral link). It's a shopping site that carries only cruelty-free items. I haven't purchased much from them yet because it is a still a relatively new site and has a limited selection (that does seem to be growing every time I check there), but I love the concept of a site like this.

Back in July, Sindulge sent out an email to all their subscribers with a $20 coupon that didn't have a purchase minimum. It was an amazing deal, and I spent quite a bit of time browsing their site trying to pick a product to order.

What I ended up stumbling upon was the Girlactik Matte Bronzer in Cabo, which is a light-toned, matte bronzer. I've seen Girlactik products before when browsing websites online, but I hadn't heard much about them or tried any of them myself. This was a great opportunity to try a new brand for an amazing price. The bronzer retails for $26. When you factor in my coupon and shipping, I paid less than $10.

Packaging

The packaging for this bronzer is quite simple, which I really like. I love the brown and pink theme on the box, and the chandelier detail is subtle but feminine. That detail carries over the the compact, and the compact itself has a metallic pewter color. It shows fingerprints a little bit, but not as bad as more reflective packaging does.

There isn't a brush included with this bronzer, which is perfectly fine with me because it keeps the size of the compact small and well....compact.

Product 

As mentioned above, this bronzer is a lighter-toned, matte bronzer, and I have to say that I am really loving it! It doesn't have any orange tones in it, but it isn't so cool-toned that it looks muddy or grey. I can use it as both a contour shade or a bronzer shade on the high points of my face. It looks good both ways.

For those of you with darker skintones, Girlactik has a darker shade of bronzer as well called Casablanca, but it is not available on Sindulge's website.

Final Thoughts

If you are fair to light and are looking for an easy bronzer to work with, you might consider picking this one up.

Even if this particular bronzer doesn't catch your eye, I would suggest giving Sindulge.com (referral link) a look. It really is a fun site to check out for cruelty-free products or just for brands that aren't as common (like Girlactik, armour beauty, and tini beauty).

Have you tried anything from Girlactik? Have you found your perfect bronzer?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift code sent to me by Sindulge.com. I got the code because I am subscribed to receive their newsletter. Everyone who was signed up when the newsletter went out got the code. I have used my referral link in this post. All opinions are my own.

Sephora Favorites In the Glow Set - Get Glowing!

I'm disappointed that I fell off the wagon in terms of posting regularly. I was doing really well for a while there, and then I wasn't. *sigh* I don't think I've been a whole lot busier than usual either. I was hoping to get this particular post up before the VIB sale at the beginning of November, and that clearly didn't happen. 

This is a look at the second Sephora Favorites set I got during the Sephora Employee Appreciation Sale back in October. If you want to see my thoughts on the Sephora Favorites Superstars Beauty Essentials Set, you can find it here.

The In the Glow set has 9 deluxe samples and retails for $45. It comes in the same kind of sturdy cardboard box that the Superstars set came in, which can be used for storage after the products are removed. The products are a mix of bronzers, blushes, and highlighters.

Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight - 3 g - Approximate value - $10

I'd read rave reviews about this highlighter in the past, but I was worried it would be too dark for me. This set was a great way to try it out without committing to a full size. In the swatch above, the right swatch is a heavy one, and the left one is more blended out. It will be a little dark when my summer tan is gone, but I think I'll still be able to use it. One of the nice things with this highlighter is that it isn't glittery at all; it just has a really nice sheen.

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic - 4 g - Approximate value - $25

This product is one that looks gorgeous, but I wasn't originally sure how to use it. In the swatches above, the first four swatches are the individual colors, and the last swatch on the far right is all four shades mixed together. Mixed together, it's too dark for me to use as a highlight, and it isn't a color I would normally use as a blush. I tried using a couple of the colors as eye shadows, and they made a really pretty look. I'll have to keep playing with it though. I might have to try using it as a blush one day.


Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor - 3.2 g - Approximate value - $13.75

This is a really pretty bright pink with a lot of gold shimmer and some gold glitter. I cringed initially when I saw the chunkier glitter pieces in this, but thankfully, they don't really seem to stick to the skin. The color is similar to Nars Orgasm, but it isn't an exact dupe. It Splendor doesn't have the peachy undertone that Orgasm has, and it is also has more gold shimmer.

Benefit High Beam - .13 fl oz - Approximate value - $7.30

This is a cult classic liquid highlighter that adds a soft pink sheen to the skin. I've had a small sample sized bottle for a long time, and I like it, but I don't love it. I reach for my powder highlighters more. In the swatch above, the one on the right is a heavy swatch and the one on the left is blended out.

Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna - 2.5 g - Approximate value - $9.80

I have to say that this is one of the products I was really excited to try. So many people in the online beauty community us this as their go-to bronzer, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. This is a nice warm bronzer with a slight golden sheen to it. I haven't decided if I love it yet, but I've been enjoying testing it out.

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flushed - 4.8 g - Approximate value - $3.30

This cheek stain looks really scary in the tube, but, as you can see from the swatch, it blends out to sheer berry color. I have several of their cheek stains, and the way that I like applying them is with a stippling brush. I find that they feel a bit tacky, so they are hard to blend with my fingers. A stippling brush works well. I usually sweep a bit of translucent powder over the stain after I've applied it to help get rid of that tacky feeling.

BareMinerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance - .57 g - Approximate value - $12.50

 This is another highlight product that looks like it would be questionable for my pale skin, but, sadly, that's because of my camera skills. With a heavy swatch like the one above, the skintoned base is really apparent, but when applied lightly to the skin, it doesn't. What does show up is tons of very fine pieces of shimmer, that don't show up in the photo. This is a gorgeous shimmery highlight, and my photos fail miserably at showcasing it.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matter Bronzing Powder - 2.5 g - Approximate value - $7.25

This is another favorite in the beauty community that I was happy to get in this set. It is completely matte and is cooler in tone than Laguna. Like Laguna, I haven't decided if I love it yet, but I'm enjoying playing with it. I blame my general fear of bronzers. I'm always afraid of over-applying them, so I don't apply enough to really notice a difference.

Stila Convertible Color in Peony - 2.2 g - Approximate value - $11.50

This is a highly pigmented cream blush that has a really smooth feel. It blends out easily, and the color Peony is a great neutral, slightly brown-toned pink. 

My total estimated value: $100.40. The box claims a $111 value. 

Final Thoughts

I love these types of sets. I get to try a bunch of products for a lot less than if I was buying full sizes of everything, and it's a great value for just the mini sizes of them. If you love blushes, bronzers, and highlighters, I would suggest picking this set up.