Finish 13 by Halloween - A Project Pan Challenge

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

I know I just did a post about products I'm trying to use up not very long ago, so it probably seems pretty silly that I'm doing one again, but this one is going to be slightly different. 

I had mentioned in my previous post about the Pan that Palette Challenge that I'm working on with my Lorac Pro Palette. That challenge introduced me to the panning community on YouTube and other social media sites. They do a variety of panning challenges throughout the year, with different time frames and different amounts of products. I love the idea! It is such great motivation seeing other people who are focused on using up products. 

I first saw this challenge on Amber F's YouTube channel. You can see her introduction with her products here. 

Although Amber is taking part, the two YouTubers who came up with this challenge are Megan and Tatum. You can see their introduction videos here and here. 

As you can probably guess, the rules of this project are pretty simple. You pick 13 products that you want to use and and see how far you can get with them by Halloween. There are no restrictions on the products themselves. I've seen some people use deluxe samples or groups of mini samples. I've seen some people choose products that were nearly new but say that their goal was to just hit pan on the product instead of using it up completely. I love the flexibility of it. 

Most of the products that I chose for this project were already mentioned in my previous post, so it is going to be a little redundant, but I'm going to go ahead and show them again with updated pictures. Several products already have visible progress, which is really exciting. Just as a note for the sake of timeline, all of these product pictures were taken on July 25, a week before this post will actually go live. As another note, some of these products are not cruelty-free, and they are in this project specifically so I can finish them up and move them out of my collection.

Product #1 - Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5: I haven't been using this foundation since my last post since I've been using the NYX one. In order to better track my progress when I do start using it again, I have drawn a line to show where I currently am with it.  

Product #2 - NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory: I've been liking this foundation quite a bit. As you can see, I have used a binder clip to keep some of the air squeezed out of the tube. 

It's a little ambitious of me to have two foundations in here, but as you can see, I really don't have a whole lot left of the Urban Decay one, and it feels like the NYX one has a lot gone in it too. I can almost roll the tube over one more time. If I don't finish both of them by Halloween, I expect that I can at least have them both done by the end of the year. 

Product #3 - Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair: This wasn't in my post before about finishing products up, but it was in my face product inventory post. I've got two of these, and the color is a little bit dark for me. I figured I would try and use it up now while the weather is still warm, and I can pretend I have a tan. I've got it rolled all the way up here, so you can see how much product there is. Like the foundations, I don't know that I'll be able to finish this by the end of the project, but I'm hoping. 

Product #4 - Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Guava and Lychee: Because of the size of the samples, I am counting these two samples together as one product. Guava is a great shade for this time of the year, and I think Lychee will be a nice color to start transitioning into fall.

Product #5 - Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow Sample: This looks a little silly by comparison to have two blush samples and this tiny sample by itself, but this color is one that I only use as a liner, so I only use a tiny bit for each application, and it isn't something I will use every day.

Product #6 - Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini: This is one of the products that is already showing quite a bit more pan than what it did a couple of weeks ago. I use it with a big fluffy brush to do a light dusting around the perimeter of my face. As long as I keep using it consistently, I don't think I'll have any trouble finishing it.

Product #7 - Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light: This is another one that is already showing a good amount of progress. You can see that I've hit the edge of the pan.

Product #8 - Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten: I can see a lot of progress on this product too, but this is definitely a long-shot product to finish it by Halloween. I might end up using it until then and just getting rid of it. This is one of those products that I want to move out of my collection because Stila is not cruelty-free.

Product #9 & #10 - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom: These were mini eyeliners, which is one of the reasons I chose them. The other is because Zero works well as a base for the Darling Girl eye shadow sample I'm trying to use up, and Ransom works really well as a base for Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette, the palette I'm working on using up.

Product #11 - Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh: This is the shadow that I'm using as my regular browbone highlight shade, so I'm hoping to move it out pretty quickly. 

Product #12 - Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini: You can see my binder clip trick again here. I used to love this primer. It was my favorite, but it doesn't seem to work as well as it did. I've been using it with another base (currently the Stila Smudge Pot), and it has been working okay that way. 

Product #13 - Nude Eye Shadow from the Lorac Pro Palette: In my other post, I mentioned that I'm working on the Pan that Palette Challenge started by Amber F, and I'm trying to pan the Lorac Pro Palette. I'm working on using up Nude right now by using it as a layering shade. Currently I'm layering it over Gold from the same palette because I find Gold to be too intense on its own. 

Those are my 13 products for this project. Have you taken part in any kind of panning challenge? How did it go for you? 

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

Makeup Inventory - Face Products

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

Since I've been working on finishing off products, I wanted to share my makeup inventory of face products. I'm pretty pleased with the amounts I have in these categories, but I also want to work on narrowing it down farther. I would love to have my face products narrowed down to a small set of holy grail items.

Here's a look at what I currently have as well as my goals for the future. 

Primers 

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer in Fair (x2) - I have two of these because of a QVC TSV. One has been started already, and the other one hasn't been opened yet.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless - You might be able to see that  I've made pretty good progress with this primer. It's the one that I'm currently rotating with the Tarte one above.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost - I don't know if this is technically a primer, but it feels like one, and it does say that it should be applied after moisturizer and is a perfect base for makeup, so I've got it in this category.

Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair (x2) - This is another multiple thanks to QVC. Sadly, the shade is a bit too dark for me. I need to work on using these more to move them out of my collection.

Total number of primers: 6
Ideal number of primers: 1 or 2

Foundations

Paula's Choice Resist Instant Smoothing Anti-Aging Foundation in Porcelain - This is a pretty good shade match. I haven't used it regularly in a while to remember how well I like it.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5 - This is the foundation I've been using the most for a while now. It's the foundation that I've been working on using up. The shade match is pretty good, but there's something I haven't been liking about it lately.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Fair (After I took this picture I found another tube of Fair and a tube of Light...*sigh* Thankfully, I think my mom is going to take at least one of those tubes) - This foundation really annoys me. I had a tube that I bought not long after this foundation was released, and it was a really good match. Sadly, they seem to have changed the shade because this tube (and the tester in Ulta) is too dark.

NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory - This foundation is one that was surprising to me. When it comes out of the tube, it looks like it is too dark, but it actually blends in and matches me really well. I like it pretty well.

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair - Another Tarte foundation that is too dark for me.

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops in N10 - This is my most recent foundation purchase, and I'm really liking it. I haven't used it much recently because I'm trying to use up other foundations, but I think this might be a staple in my collection.

Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Liquid Foundation in Fair - Darn Tarte! This is another foundation that is too dark for me. *sigh*

With the foundations that I have that are too dark, I have Life's Entropy Foundation Elixir in White on my wishlist to make them a better match. I would eventually like to only have foundations that truly match my skintone.

Silk Naturals HD Foundation Samples in N10 and N20 - The full-size of this product is in a stick form, which would this much easier to apply. I find it difficult to apply this from the sample pod. The N10 shade is a really good match for me though.

Total number of foundations: 7 full size and 2 samples
Ideal number of foundations: 1 to 3

Correctors

Silk Naturals Peach HD Concealer in 10 (full size and sample) - I recently finished the full size and sample I had of this product in shade 20. I personally find shade 10 too light. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with these since I'm not sure if I'll be able to make them work.

Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach - I've been working on finishing off other correctors for so long that I haven't used this particular one in a really long time.

BareMinerals Correcting Concealer in Light 1 - I've already finished one of these in the past. I liked it well enough that I picked up a second one on sale during one of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty.

Tarte BB Tined Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light - Yet again, I have multiples because of QVC sets. I've made a big dent in one of them, so I should hopefully be down to two soon.

Total number of correctors: 6 full size and 1 sample
Ideal number of correctors: 1

Concealers

NYX Full Coverage Concealer in Porcelain - I'm actually really happy with this concealer. This is the one that I use most days.

Meow Concealer in Inquisitive Siamese (Large and Small Jar) - I don't use this nearly as much as I used to, but I still feel like it is a staple in my collection. It is really handy to have a powder concealer for adding a final touch of extra coverage when a cream concealer doesn't quite cut it. I typically use this after I've finished my makeup entirely and need a little more help covering a spot. The reason there are two jars is because I transfer a small amount of product into the smaller jar instead of using it directly from the larger jar.

NYX Incredible Waterproof Concealer in Porcelain - This concealer lives in my purse along with another small jar of the Meow concealer. I am frankly terrible about touching up my makeup when I'm out, but they are handy to have around. Since this NYX concealer is so inexpensive, I don't feel bad about having it basically collect dust in my purse.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA - I like this concealer, and I like the convenience of having it in pencil form. I use this on days when I'm a little to lazy to deal with the NYX jar concealer and a brush.

Total number of concealers: 4
Ideal number of concealers: 4

I am actually really happy with my concealer selection right now. I like having the option of a stick concealer or a jar and the powder concealer for a boost of coverage. Like I said with the NYX stick concealer, I like having an inexpensive product in my purse for the random times when I do feel the need to do a touch-up while out and about.

Powders

Meow Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation in Inquisitive Siamese - I used to wear Meow's foundation on its own, but now I wear it as a finishing powder for extra coverage.

Random Mix of Powders - Yes, this jar also says it is a Meow foundation, but this was actually an empty jar I used to combine a lot of random loose finishing powders I had. At this point, I don't even really know what all is in this jar. I know most of it is the illuminating BareMinerals Mineral Veil because I had several of those from...you guessed it...QVC. I know there is a mini regular Mineral Veil in there, and I'm pretty sure there is pure silica powder and silk powder in there as well. It's basically the dumping ground for loose powders that I don't hate but don't love.

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder - I haven't opened this yet. I vaguely remember using a mini of this powder a while ago and liking it, so for right now, this isn't going to join the powder dumping ground (which is full anyway).

Too Faced Amazing Face Skin-Balancing Flexible Coverage Foundation Powder in Vanilla Creme - I bought this as a pressed powder foundation to try since I've used loose for so long. I've thrown this in my purse a few times when I've had something to go to after work. It's okay, but I don't love it.

Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light - I bought this a long time ago because it was on clearance. It's a little too dark for me. I used up another compact a few years ago when I got a little bit more of a tan than I usually get. I haven't gotten that tan since. I've thought about crushing this up and adding it to my powder dumping ground.

Total number of powders: 5
Ideal number of powders: 2 - one with coverage and ones translucent

Correcting Concealer Powder(s)

You are probably wondering why these weren't up with the other correctors. I use this as a final step after I finish my eye makeup, and I arranged these pictures in the order I use them.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach and Medium Peach
Silk Naturals Translucent Cloud Powder

While there are four items here, this is really classified as one product for me. Light Peach is too light, and Medium Peach is too dark, so I mix the two together. I add in some of the Translucent Cloud powder because it isn't supposed to absorb oil, so theoretically, it is good for under my eyes, which tends to be drier. I still haven't found a balance here since I wish I could just skip this step in my routine, since I'm sure it dries out the skin under my eyes, but I like the extra coverage.

Total number of correcting concealer powders - 3 (or 1 depending on how you count them)
Ideal number of correcting concealer powders - 3 (or 1 depending on how you count them)

Mattifying Products

Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender (x2) - I have a full size and a smaller size of this. Theoretically, this product is great. I've already mentioned the fact that I rarely do touch-ups during the day, so these don't get used very often. I need to use them more. 

Face Blotting Papers (ELF and Paula's Choice) - I stocked up on the ELF blotting papers a long time ago operating on the theory that I would use them regularly. I should, but I don't. The Paula's Choice blotting papers can as a freebie in an order I placed. 

Total mattifying products: 6 (there is a blotting paper packet not pictured)

Ideal number of total mattifying products: 1

What are your thoughts on face products? I know some people really love trying out new foundations and concealers. I would love to have a set routine that just works and stick with it. I think I'm actually getting close and look forward to clearing out some of these excess products. 

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

I'm Back (I Think) - Still Working on Finishing Products

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

Well...I'm going to try and start blogging again. I doubt I will be very consistent because life still feels really crazy sometimes. We'll see how things go. I'm not going to give a personal update yet explaining where I've been the past year, but maybe I will eventually. The short of it is that life keeps moving forward, and I keep moving with it.

Even though things have been silent here over the past year, I've still been working on my project to use up some of the products in my collection. That's where I've decided to pick things up again.

Just as a reminder, part of the reason for trying to use up some of these products is that they are by brands that aren't cruelty-free, and I'm trying to get those products out of my collection without just throwing them away. If the brand is cruelty-free, odds are pretty good I chose the product because it was a smaller size or already had a decent dent in it. I don't want to overwhelm myself with what I'm trying to finish.

Here's a current look at what I'm trying to finish up and move out of my collection.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5 (or NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory) - I've been working steadily on the Urban Decay foundation, but lately, I haven't been liking the look of it very much, so I will probably do some alternating between the two. As you can see, I've got a good dip in both of them, so I hope to see one of them gone within the next couple of months.

Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light - I've got a pretty good stock of correctors (including two more of these), so this was just the next one in the lineup to work on finishing.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini - This primer hasn't been working all that well for me lately. It's really frustrating. Thankfully, with the next product, my shadow still lasts all day.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - Stila isn't a cruelty-free brand, which is why I'm specifically trying to use up this product. Like I mentioned above, this really does help my eye shadow last longer. Because of the heavy shimmer, I stick up just apply it to the lid and keep it off my crease and browbone. That weird dent in the middle was made with a cotton swab because I wanted to see how close I was to the bottom of the jar. Sadly, I'm not nearly as close as I thought.

Lorac Pro Palette - Okay...you are probably looking at this page thinking I'm nuts right now have a whole palette listed. I'll admit, it is quite the undertaking. This year, I stumbled across Amber F on YouTube, who does a Pan that Palette Challenge. Last year, she panned the Naked Palette (yes, the entire Naked Palette). This year, she is panning the Lorac Pro Palette. I personally chose the Lorac Pro Palette because Lorac isn't cruelty-free. Do I expect to finish this entire palette by the end of the year? Absolutely not. My goal is to finish off as many of the colors as I can. Once I've finished off quite a few of them, I'll depot the rest and stick them in a Z Palette. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but I've finished off Cream. I also finished off Light Bronze (there was only one use left when I took the picture). I've got a lot of pan showing on White, and I've got good dips going in Nude and Champagne. I just finished the crease shade that I was working on (that was an individual pan), so I'll be starting to work on Taupe now too.

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh - This is another Lorac product that I'm trying to use up since the brand isn't cruelty free. The dome is basically gone, and you can see that I've got some pan showing. Since this is the shade I use on my browbone every day, I'm hoping to see it gone soon.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom (Minis) - I chose a couple of mini pencils since they will be easier to work through the full-sizes. They also work well with eye shadows I'm trying to use up. I've been topping Ransom with Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette. The two together balance each other out and make a bright purple that isn't too bright for daily wear. Zero is working well with a shadow I have below. 

Silk Naturals Shantung Eye Shadow - This was a gift with purchase shadow from Silk Naturals a long time ago. I think I even have a second one. I don't necessarily want this out of my collection, but it doesn't exactly do any good just sitting in a palette. It's a subtle highlight shade that I use in my inner corner occasionally. I need to try and remember to use it more often.

Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini - This was one of those products I chose to work on finishing off because it was a mini size, making it more manageable to try and finish. 

Silk Naturals Guava Blush Sample - I've finished off several Silk Naturals blush samples this year, and this is just another one to finish off. The color is nice for the summer, which is why I chose it over some of the other samples I have left.

Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow - I have had this sample since Darling Girl was just a fledgling indie brand. It's just another sample I chose to work on, particularly because the teal color is nice for the summer. I've been layering it on top of UD's Zero to make it a little deeper. 

DKNY Be Delicious Perfume Duo - I have a lot of perfumes (mostly rollerballs) that aren't cruelty free. The Be Delicious scent is a nice one for this time of year, so I chose to work on it. Obviously, I've been working on the original scent side, but I'll move on to the other one next. 

Well....those are my products that I'm currently working on finishing up. Obviously, some seem pretty manageable while others are much more ambitious. 

Are you working on using up any products? 

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

NYX Baked Shadow in Nebula - Review and Swatches

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

I don't know about all of you, but I'm really glad that spring is finally deciding to show itself. I've been prepping for the season by doing some clothing shopping recently. I'm also eagerly watching the yard to see flowers starting to pop out of the ground.

Today I'm going to be reviewing a shade from the new NYX baked shadow line.

Price: $5.99; NYX products are regularly on sale, so watch out for a good deal.

Packaging

NYX has gradually been creating a theme with their eye shadow packaging. Most, if not all, of their shadow packaging now has this cute bow over the clasp. It's a nice touch. The configuration of the clear panels also adds some interest to an otherwise basic shadow compact. Probably the only thing I would have changed is shaving off a bit of the extra bulk.

Product

Left to right: swatched dry and swatched wet

I wish I could say that I loved this shadow because I wanted to love it, but I was really disappointed.

My first disappointment was with the color. I purchased this online off Ulta.com, and I thought the color I was getting was going to be much lighter than it was when it arrived. I don't really blame that on the shadow. Whenever I buy something online without seeing it in person first or seeing online swatches, I know I'm taking a chance.

The shadow itself performed terribly on me. I tested it with my regular primer applied dry, my regular primer applied wet, with my regular primer and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, and with primer and Jordana's Made-to-Last Shadow pencil. With just primer, the shadow had practically disappeared after just a couple of hours. My other attempts only helped marginally.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, I wasn't happy with this particular shadow. I've only tried this one, so I can't say if the others perform better. I won't be purchasing any more of to find out. I've only seen one other review of these, and it was positive, so these might work better for someone else.

Have you tried any of NYX's baked shadows? What did you think? I would love to hear other opinions on these!

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

NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Sex Kitten - Review and Swatches

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

Was anyone else really impressed with the size of NYX's spring collection release? It was huge! They released a ton of new products, and I have to admit being totally jealous of the people who got the NYX swag bag at LA IMATS.

Even so, I had a hard time picking out a couple of products to try when I placed a recent Ulta order. A big part of that is not being able to see them in person. Colors weren't jumping out at me like they might in the store. I did finally settle on a few items to try out, and I've had some mixed results.

First time going to talk about one of their new Hot Singles Eye Shadows in the color Sex Kitten.

Price: $4.49 on Ulta.com

Packaging

The packaging is pretty standard for a single eye shadow. It's a simple black compact with a clear window on the top to show off the shadow shade. NYX added a little bit of individuality to it with the bow at the clasp. I didn't take any close-ups of it, but it is essentially the same as the bow on the palettes they released last year.

Product

NYX Sex Kitten swatched on bare skin

NYX's website describes Sex Kitten as a peachy pink shimmer, which is pretty accurate. I see a lot more peach than pink, and the shimmer is gold. This shadow would look stunning on blue eyes. My eyes are a mix of blue and green, and I could definitely see the blue popping out when I wore it. I've only done online comparisons, but the shade looks similar to MAC's Jest or Makeup Geek's Cinderella.

Both the pigmentation and texture of this shadow are really nice. It applied smoothly and evenly and wore all day over primer.

Final Thoughts

This shadow is a win for me. I don't think there's anything that I dislike about it. If you've got blue eyes, check it out the next time you see a NYX display. I'll definitely be checking out other colors in the line the next time I get to Ulta.

Have you tried any of NYX's new Hot Singles Eye Shadows? What other colors should I check out?

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

NYX Love in Florence Palette in Meet My Romeo - Review and Swatches

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

Sorry it has been so quiet on my blog lately. I've been feeling really lazy and somewhat uninspired. I have a few blog post ideas in my head, but I haven't been motivated enough to do them. I also have a lot of reviews I should be doing, but since we're still getting back into the swing of the school year here, I'm still not doing a lot of full days of makeup in order to test longevity.

In an attempt to get back into the swing of things, I'm going to go ahead an review a NYX Love in Florence Palette that I picked up back in June. The Love in Florence range has 5-pan palettes that retail for $7.99. I picked mine up along with a NYX Wonder Pencil when Ulta was having a BOGO 50% sale on NYX products.

Packaging

The packaging of this palette is similar to other NYX products: black and relatively basic. The bow on the front is a cute addition though, and it is designed well enough that it doesn't add bulk to the palette as a whole. I like that the top is clear, which makes it easy to see the colors. The palette itself also feels really sturdy. The plastic is nice and thick, so I wouldn't be scared to travel with it. NYX does include a dual-ended sponge-tipped applicator with the palette as well. While I don't generally use them, I know they can be handy to have.

Product

When I was picking out which eye shadow palette I wanted, I really struggled. NYX put out a lot of new palettes this year, and I wanted them all. However, when I got to the store, none of them were really jumping out at me. I don't really think that it s negative of the line though. I think I just have so many eye shadows that it is hard for me to find something really unique and exciting. I settled on the Meet My Romeo palette because it looked like a safe and easy palette to work with.

The colors included are light shimmery taupe, a satin-finish peach, a medium shimmery taupe, a medium matte brown, and a deep brown that has a matte base and fine multi-colored shimmer. They have a smooth texture that isn't overly soft or powdery. The pigmentation isn't very intense, but I'm okay with that. It makes the colors really easy for me to work with without overdoing it. I wish the peach color was completely matte because the color itself is soft enough to use as a blending and highlight color, but the satin finish has more sheen than I like for that type of color.

Final Thoughts

I'm not completely wowed by this palette, but, as I mentioned above, I think that's more because of my large collection rather than a fault of the product. This particular collection of colors would be a great palette for somebody just starting out with makeup because the colors aren't overly intense and are easy to work with. If the colors appeal to you, I think the quality of the shadows makes this palette worth checking out.

Have you ever gotten to the point where products don't appeal just because you have so much at home already? Have you tried any of NYX's new palettes? Are there any that I'm over-looking that I should swatch the next time I'm in Ulta?

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

I'm alive! I swear! + a Haul

Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

Things went a bit crazy here over the past few weeks, and, clearly, blogging fell to the wayside. Sorry about that.

Over the past few weeks, I've been super busy working and preparing for teaching summer school. On top of that, I've been dealing with an ingrown hair that got so infected that it has required several trips to the doctor (enough that the receptionist today didn't even ask for my name because she already knew) and antibiotics. Oh yeah...one of those antibiotics also gave me a rash all over my body this week. *sigh*

Thankfully, the infection is clearing up, the regular school year has finished, and summer school doesn't start for a couple of weeks. Now is the time to play catch-up around the house and with blogging.

Today, I thought I would keep things really simple and just show you a few items that I've gotten somewhat recently.

I'll start with a package that was sent to me by PHAMExpo (Professional Hair and Makeup Exposition), which is an event being held June 29-30 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

I had entered a contest PHAMExpo was hosting on Facebook where they asked for people to send in pictures of how they use their Z Palettes. Although I don't think they officially reached the number of ZPalette fans on Facebook needed to conclude the contest, Cheryl emailed me and said she would like to send me a couple of Z Palettes for my collection. Needless to say, I was really excited. I love the Z Palettes that I already have. Things have been so busy though that I haven't put anything in my new ones yet. I think I want to play with my current ones first and come up with a better organization system for them before I depot more items. I'm looking forward to being able to depot some more things soon though.

The other items that were sent to me were from the company Luxury Lane Soap. I while back, I found out that the company was looking for product testers, and I filled out the application. I was really excited when I received my first tester box from them.

When I received the email stating that I was part of the testing team, I was asked to choose two products I would be interested in trying out of a list of six. I chose the Nourishing Body Lotion and the Whipped Up Sugar Scrub. Both came in the scent Blackberry Tea. Kylee also included two mini bars of soap, and yes, the bar on the left is R2-D2. :-)

I'll probably do a full review of the lotion and scrub later, but I'll tell you now that I love both of them. There was a 15% off coupon in my box as well, and I used it today. I ordered another mini lotion, a full size of the scrub, a hemp body wash, and a candle.

Aside from getting items sent to me, I made some purchases recently too because there were deals that were just too good to pass up.

theBalm Cosmetics launched their new website a few weeks ago, and they had a 24-hour sale where everything on the site was 50% off. I couldn't help myself!

I picked up the Balm Jovi Palette, two of their new InStain blushes (Argyle and Toile), Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter, and Cabana Boy blush.

Then, HauteLook (referral link) had a Spring Beauty Bag deal. They advertised it as $200 worth of product for $25 (with tax and shipping, my bag cost $35).

Here's a list of the contents (taken from the original posting for the bag):

• Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Travel Size in Demolition-- deep brown with matte finish (0.03 oz., Imported)
• LORAC Full-Size Eyeshadow in Celebutante-- aquamarine with shimmer (0.06 oz., Made in USA)
• Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff: This professional style Blending Fluff is perfect for blending and shading both powder and cream shadows.
• LORAC Full-Size Multiplex 3D Lashes Mascara in Black (0.143 oz., Made in USA)
• NYX Cosmetics Full-Size Lipstick in Shiva-- blue-toned fuchsia (pearl) (0.14 oz., Made in USA)
• Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer Packettes in Pink, Rose Gold, and Bronze Shimmers (0.03 fl. oz. each, Made in USA)
• Laura Geller Mini Blush-n-Brighten in Berry (0.06 oz., Made in USA
• suki skincare full-size exfoliate foaming cleanser (4.0 fl. oz., Scent: Lemongrass and Natural Sugar)
• La Fresh Beauty Wipes -- 5-Pack of Bestsellers - 2 Oil-Free Face Cleansers (6" x 7.75" each, Scents: Refreshing [Natural Yuzu Aromatherapy] and Fragrance-Free), Waterproof Makeup Remover for Eyes and Lips (5" x 4", Unscented), Anti-Aging Face Cleanser (6" x 7.75", Scent: Maqui Berry), and Instant Body Soother (6" x 7.75", Scent: Natural Peppermint) (Made in USA): This 5-pack set includes 1 wipe from each of La Fresh's bestsellers.
• Jessica Simpson Vintage Bloom Fragrance Sampler Vial (0.19 fl. oz.)
• Smile Sciences $50 Gift Certificate: This gift certificate gives you $50 towards Smile Sciences' Rx Strength Teeth Whitening Pen. It is not redeemable for cash value, does not expire, and is to be exclusively used towards the Rx Strength Whitening Pen in any quantity. (Not pictured) 
• Cosmetics Bag (10.5" W x 7.75" H x 3" D): Transport your makeup must-haves in this charming striped beauty bag. (Not pictured) 

The last purchase I'm going to feature in this post is from Stila Cosmetics. They had a 50% off flash sale (I think it lasted less than 24 hours. Again, the bargain was just too good to resist.

I picked up an eyeshadow palette in In the Moment, a Smudge Pot in Kitten, a Color Balm Lipstick in Amelia, the Positively Pink Set for Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Mini Smudge Crayon Try-Me-Set. 

So...I've had quite a few new things to play with lately, but I haven't tried everything yet. I haven't even had time to take individual pictures of everything. That's on my goal for the next few days.

What have you been hauling lately? Have you gotten any really good deals? Is there anything in particular you would like to see a review on?

Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

NYX Retractable Liner in Bronze - Darkhorse Product

Happy Friday!

This reviews going to be short and to the point because I've had another crazy busy week. I subbed for second grade two days, and today I will be working with kindergarteners for the third day in a row. Little kids are sweet, but they are also exhausting!

If you are anything like me, you have heard and read a ton of rave reviews about the NYX Slide On Eye Pencils. They are supposed to be really good dupes for Urban Decay's 24/7 Liner Pencils.

I'd been meaning to pick one up to try out, but when I was looking at NYX eye liners in Ulta, I couldn't help but notice that the Slide On Pencils retail for $8 and NYX's Retractable Eye Liners only retail for $4.50. At nearly half the cost and getting a pencil that I don't have to sharpen, I couldn't resist.

The liner had been used prior to this picture. Sorry!

I only picked up one shade, Bronze, but there are 16 colors total in this formulation.

Swatch: NYX Retractable Eye Liner in Bronze

The formula of this liner is really nice. It's soft and creamy without being too soft and creamy. It gives a little bit of play time for smudging before it sets, and it stays put throughout the day. I get some fading around the outer corners of my eyes, but I get that with nearly every liner that I own, so I don't worry too much about that.

With all of that being said, I'm really surprised that I haven't heard much about this line of liners before. I obviously can't compare it to the Slide-On Pencils since I haven't tried those, but it's hard to beat these retractable ones when I don't really have anything negative to say about them and are quite a bit cheaper.

Have you tried the NYX Retractable Eye Liners or the Slide On Pencils? Are you as glad for the weekend as I am?

NYX Blushes - Review and Swatches

In my quest to keep up with regular blog posts, I dug back through my folders of pictures from the past year and moved the ones of the products I haven't reviewed into their own folder. I'm hoping to knock out most of them over the next month or so. If you notice my watermarks or lighting looking different in this post and others, it's because some of these pictures were taken with a different lighting set-up and/or were edited using a different program.

(Tangent! I ordered a Softbox Light Box Cube, which should be arriving this week. I'm really excited to get it! I'm hoping it will help eliminate having to deal with shadows and glare on products. I'm also excited to have a more consistent backdrop so I don't have to worry about hiding the wall in my half-bath that is less that pretty.)

Back on topic: One of the products that somehow hadn't gotten reviewed was NYX powder blushes. These are currently listed at $5.99 on Ulta.com, but they can frequently be found on sale both at Ulta and at other online retailers (for example, they are currently selling for $4.50 on CherryCulture.com).

The packaging on NYX blushes is really basic. I personally really like the fact that it isn't overly flashy or bulky and doesn't come with a cheap, awful blush brush (Physicians Formula *cough, cough*).

NYX Powder Blush in Desert Rose

NYX Powder Blush in Dusty Rose

I currently only have two NYX blushes in my collection: Desert Rose and Dusty Rose. Desert Rose is a bright reddish-pink, and Dusty Rose is exactly what the name implies: a dusty, muted pink.

Left to right: Dusty Rose and Desert Rose

As you can see from the swatches, both shades are matte and have really good pigmentation. Both blushes blend nicely onto the skin. I couldn't wear Desert Rose if it didn't. I have to blend the heck out of it to make it work for me because it is so bright and pigmented. Both blushes still look good after about 8 hours. Dusty Rose is a bit more faded, but it is still visible. If I had to go out in the evening after a full day at work, I would probably touch it up. Desert Rose could probably make it all the way to bedtime because it is such a bright color to begin with.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoy both of these blushes. They are a nice addition to my collection, and the odds are pretty good that I will be adding more NYX blushes to my collection in the future. They perform incredibly well, especially for their price-point. The line also has a really good range of shades to pick from.

Do you own any NYX blushes? What do you think of them? What colors should I add to my wishlist?