July is almost over--is this freaking anyone else out as much as it is me? August is my birthday month and it's sure to bring some excitement--I'll be in the outer banks for a week, then visiting one of my best friends in the mountains for a long weekend just before we start workdays to amp up for the new school year!
But as the month draws to a close, it's time to take a look back at the samples and products I've tested out this month. Lots of stuff to talk about, so let's get started!
Can we talk for a moment about Sephora? I've had a couple of pretty great experiences there this past month, and I've picked up a few things that I think warrant talking a bit about.
- Sephora-brand Face Masks: I'm developing an affinity for face masks in general, and I was pretty impressed with the choices available to me here. I've tried out the Green Tea, Honey, and Pomegranate masks, and they've all been pretty great. I have a Pearl mask and a Ginseng mask left to try at home, and I'm looking forward to them! They run about $6 per mask, which is fairly standard for a fabric/sheet mask, and I would definitely repurchase these in the future. 5 stars!
- Urban Decay Eye Shadow - Shade: Midnight Rodeo: This was the first ever Urban Decay eyeshadow I've ever owned. The shade is a beautiful sandy taupe, and it's packed with glitter for an extra pop of drama. Urban Decay isn't cheap, but this shadow caught my eye. It wears well, but I've found that the trick to applying it is to use your finger to pat it on, rather than using a shadow brush. When I applied it the first time, there was quite a bit of fallout, especially of the silver glitter. Overall, I'd rate it a solid 4 stars. Here's a little from Urban Decay's website about the shade. (Click the picture if you're interested in more info!)
Bonus--here's a look I did the other day with this shadow on my eyes:
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| Gorgeous, right? Ugh. |
Let's move onto the samples I received in this month's subscription services.
ipsy Samples:
- Nicka K New York Eyeshadow Quad in the shade NY081, Plumas - This quad is a really interesting combination of colors. I'm really surprised at the quality of the shadows themselves--they are incredibly soft. As is usually to be expected, they aren't as pigmented on the lid as they appear in finger swatches, but I found that if I used my finger to pat a little extra onto my lid, it helped with that. Overall, I'd give these shadows 4 stars. Here's a look I did using this quad on my lids!
- Jor'el Parker Eau de Parfum in the scent Classico - This was a miss for me, friends. I did not enjoy this fragrance enough to wear it at all. I'll hold onto it and maybe see if a friend wants it, but it just isn't for me. 1 star.
- Jersey Shore Cosmetics Mongongo Vanilla Coconut Cream Lip Conditioner - From rags to riches, my friends, because this product was a major hit for me. It smells great, it feels fantastic, and it honestly makes my lips feel healthier. It's really nice to apply before bed--you'll wake up with baby soft lips. Most definitely 5 stars from me!
- Coolway Beachy Salt Spray - I've only had a couple of opportunities to try this product out, and it's just been okay. Nothing super amazing about it, but then my hair hasn't really been able to hold much wave or curl for a few years now. I'll take it with me on my trip next week to the beach to give it another shot, but right now it sits at 2 stars.
- Teeez Cosmetics Read My Lips Lipstick in the shade Killing Me Softly - Another miss for me, unfortunately, was this lipstick in what should be a great shade. The thing that brings this product down for me is the formula. It goes on pretty streaky and doesn't look all that great on my lips, even though I love coral shades. I'll be passing it along to my friend Jennifer, though, so hopefully she'll enjoy it! I can only give the lipstick 3 stars.
- Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - This product, while it smells delightful, is just okay. Perhaps if I did more with my hair involving products I would enjoy it more, but as it is right now, I was bummed that I didn't love it more. The effect it has on my hair is more akin to hairspray than dry shampoo, and it didn't give me much lift in my roots at all when I tried to perk up my hair. Unfortunately, I have to give this on only 3 stars.
- stila look at me liquid lipstick in the shade venizia - Love, love, love! This shade is super bright and SUPER pigmented, but it has incredible staying power. Like, when I say incredible--you can apply this in the morning, and it will still be there at dinner time. The shade is really intense, so it's not exactly an every day wear kind of color, but it's really fun. Solid 4 stars. Here's a look I did this month--really simple eyes, along with the stila liquid lipstick.
- COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face - This sunscreen was nice and light and got a lot of use while I was down in Myrtle Beach visiting my folks. It doesn't feel greasy, it smells nice and clean, and it was effective. It's pretty pricey for a full size, so I'm not likely to purchase it, but it's been nice to use and I'll make sure I use it all up! 4 stars.
- dr. brandt microdermabrasion skin exfoliant - This scrub is pretty awesome. It has a nice, light lemon scent, and it feels great--it's a very fine scrub. It leaves your skin feeling soft, but not irritated like harsher scrubs can do. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd for sure look into purchasing a full size, but at an almost $80 price tag, it just isn't practical for me, so I'll use up all of this sample and enjoy it while I can. 5 stars.
- Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara - A major favorite of most beauty bloggers I follow, this product was one that got me really excited. It's a great mascara, though I've found that the brush can be a bit tricky in terms of getting mascara on my eye. It is a great formula, though, and I'll use it all up! 4 stars.
1. I grabbed a couple of matte lip products from NYX at my CVS, and I'm in love. One is a matte lipstick in a medium wine sort of shade called Natural. The other is a Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Milan, an intense rose pink shade. Here are some pics from the NYX website of the two shades I bought:
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| NYX Matte Lipstick - Natural |
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| NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Milan (highlighted) |
3. Keep your eyes peeled for a post to come--makeup essentials 101. I'm thinking that I'll do a blog with some pictures, or maybe even a vlog--something like a getting ready with me video that'll show you how I go about putting together an everyday wear kind of makeup look.
I think that's it for this month's wrap-up. August will be here before we know it! I have a sneaking suspicion that my Birchbox will arrive while I'm gone to Ocracoke during the first week of August...also, be forewarned that my posts may go up a bit late next month with everything I have going on. As the school year kicks into gear, posting may be affected, but I'll do my best to at least do posts on my subscriptions and a monthly wrap up, if nothing else. I hope you continue to enjoy the summer, and as always--don't forget to be awesome.
Best wishes,
Marlee
2 comments:
Love the information!
Thank you, my friend! <3
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