Beauty Sample Redux: July in Review!

Hello again, my friends!

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:

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.

Birchbox Samples:

• 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.

That wraps up the samples I got this month.  A few random odds and ends about this month:

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:

NYX Matte Lipstick - Natural

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Milan (highlighted)

2. I'm officially a fan of bronzer.  It intimidated me to no end, but now that I've gotten to play with it, I'm in love with my tarte bronzer in Park Avenue Princess.  It's the perfect way to warm up my face and give it a sun-kissed glow.  

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

July 2015 ipsy Glam Bag!

Hello and happy almost weekend, my friends!

My July ipsy Glam Bag arrived in the mail today, so you know I was all up in it taking pictures and testing out my samples!  I'm excited to share with you the things that I received this month.  Before I zoom on into that, here's a bit about what ipsy is if you're unfamiliar.  Like Birchbox, ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service.  You fill out a beauty survey to indicate what you're interested in, and they send you a fun makeup bag each month with 4-5 product samples for you to try out.  It's $10 (+tax) each month, and it's a fun way to learn about and test out a wide range of brands and products.  If you're interested in signing up, you can click here to check it out for yourself!

Now, enough time spent on that--let's moved on to the stuff you came here for--here are this month's products I've received to try out!

First up, here's a peek at the bag and the (as always) useless card that says the same thing and tells a bit about the theme of the month.  This month's bag is pretty cute!

Product number one:

Nicka K New York

HQ Quad Eyeshadow

Shade: NY081, Plumas

Sample is full size!

Product value - $4.99

So this brand is one I've not heard of before, and it appears to be a brand that seeks to offer high quality products at low prices.  This quad, which is a full size product available for purchase from Nicka K's website, is pretty impressive quality-wise.  The shadows are super soft, creamy, and packed with shimmer.  I'm excited to play with these colors, and I'll make sure I take pictures of any looks I create with them to include in my July wrap-up. 

Product number two:

Jor'el Parker

Eau de Parfum (Roller Ball)

Scent: Classico

Full size, $21-$55

Sample size - 8.8 ml

Sample value - $21.00

So the description on ipsy's website references the "spicy seduction of Indian Tuberose, the striking and sweet sensation of Turkish Cyclamen and the purifying calm of Spanish Mandarin," but I've got to be honest--this scent isn't really my style.  I got excited about the mandarin, but the main notes of this perfume are quite floral and heavy--they make me think of the perfume the 100-year-old librarian would wear when I was in elementary school.  I'm not sure if it's the tuberose that overwhelms the fragrance or the other floral component (Turkish Cyclamen), but it doesn't hit my nose in a way that's pleasant.  I might see if one of my friends or family members enjoys it--just because it isn't my style doesn't mean someone else won't love it.  Also, I have a hard time believing that this roller ball is worth $21.  But I'm not really big into perfume, so I don't have much of a frame of reference, I guess.

Product number three:

Jersey Shore Cosmetics

Mongongo Vanilla Coconut Cream Lip Conditioner

Sample is full size!

Product value - $10

This product might be my favorite thing from this month's bag.  It's super moisturizing, it smells great, and I've only put it on a couple of times today and my lips feel...better.  This product/brand is known for being organic and all-natural, so it makes me excited to add it to the products I carry in my purse.  Well done, ipsy.

Product number four:

Coolway

Beachy Salt Spray

Full size, $12.95

Sample size - 0.5 oz / 15 ml

Sample value - $1.96

I'm not super excited about this particular product, mostly because I've found that beachy salt products like this don't do a lot for my hair.  I'll give it a few tries and let you know more in my monthly wrap up, but I don't anticipate that this is going to do a whole lot for me.  It doesn't seem to have a strong scent--but I guess I'll know for sure once I try it out.

Product number five:

Teeez Cosmetics

Read My Lips Lipstick

Shade: Killing Me Softly

Sample is full size!

Sample value - $22

While I'm impressed to have received another full size product in this month's ipsy Glam Bag, I'm a bit disappointed in this one.  It's a pretty enough shade--I'm liking coral lips in general--but the formula is just not that great.  It's fairly creamy texture-wise, but it goes on sort of streak/patchy, and it just doesn't feel all that different from a standard lipstick (despite claims of being moisturizing, etc).  I've not been able to really test its lasting power, but I'd be skeptical that it's all that long-lasting.  I'll add it to my makeup bag, but it probably wont get much use from me.  (The packaging is super cute, though.)

That's all that I got for this month with ipsy--overall value comes to almost six times the subscription cost at $59.95, but I would personally contest the "value" of some of the items I got this month.  Regardless, I'm glad to have gotten some new goodies to play with, and I look forward to giving you all some more thoughts when I wrap up this month in my next post.

In the meantime, keep enjoying your summer, my friends, and don't forget to be awesome.

Best wishes,

Marlee

PS - New here?  Take a walk down memory lane and check out some of my other posts about ipsy, Birchbox, mini-hauls, and month-in-reviews!  Take a look to the right into my archives for those links. :)

July 2015 Birchbox!

Hello again my friends!

I'm super excited to bring you the scoop on the samples I received in my July Birchbox.  It was a total surprise for the first time in a long while, mostly because it arrived today, the 9th, and sneak peeks can't be seen until the 10th on the app.  I was thrilled to get it now, because I'm heading to go see my parents in Myrtle Beach tomorrow for a long weekend.  So now I have some neat things to bring with me and play with while I'm there!

Let's start by taking a look at the gorgeous box design for July, shall we?

This month's box features a super cute and super summery bright graphic pattern on the box, and I'm in love.  The other picture above shows you how my box looked upon opening it. Included along with the information card shown below (on the right) was a special offer from Benefit (shown below on the left) along with some information about their new shades of the They're Real! mascara and push-up gel eye liner.  

Here's my info card that details all of my products, along with their full-size prices.  I love that Birchbox makes it super easy to track down any products you love from your box to purchase in full-size form.  (Ahem, ipsy might want to pay attention to this part. Just saying.)

Without any further ado, let's get to the goodies!

Product number one:

Oribe

Dry Texturizing Spray

Full size, $22-42

Sample size - 1 oz

Sample value - ~$5

Oribe is a brand I've heard a lot about, but never been able to try.  Texturizing spray is described as an alternative to dry shampoo; it does a lot of the same things.  It helps soak up excess oil and is supposed to add volume.  Even better--it smells amazing.  I'm excited to give this product a try.  I had to estimate the value of the sample because I got different prices based on which full size product I compared the sample to, so I went with the lower value and rounded it up a few cents to $5.  

Product number two:

stila

look at me liquid lipstick

Shade: venizia

Full size, $22

Sample size - 0.05 fl oz

Sample value - $11

Liquid lipstick is becoming the new trend for lip products--all of the major makeup brands have come out with their version of liquid lipsticks.  They're usually super pigmented, dry to a matte finish, and have a decent amount of staying power.  I've become a fan of matte lip products in general, as they offer an alternative to the glossy, shiny lip products that often don't have the same amount of lasting power.  This shade, venizia, is a bright coral shade that I'm pretty much in love with.  Below is a swatch on my hand, along with a picture of my otherwise makeup-less face with the liquid lipstick on my lips.  This stuff is, as mentioned before, super pigmented.  It also dried to a matte finish in seconds, and after repeated tests, it's not transferring at all.  I'm certainly impressed.

Product number three:

COOLA

Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face

Full size, $32

Sample size - .24 fl oz

Sample value - $4.52

COOLA is a great brand--I've previously gotten a tinted face moisturizer that I really liked from them.  It was light and it basically disappeared upon application.  This moisturizer is more like a typical sunscreen consistency, though it's a bit on the runny side.  It has a nice, clean cucumber scent.  I'll be tossing this into my suitcase for the weekend and trying it out at the pool!  You can't ever have too many sunscreens, right?

Product number four:

dr. brandt

microdermabrasion skin exfoliant

Full size, $78 (!!)

Sample size - 0.25 oz

Sample value - $9.75

This is another brand that I've gotten some products from in the past that have been hit or miss, but when I saw the price tag on the full size of this product, I did a double take.  Two ounces of this scrub will run you almost $80!  I'm hoping with a price tag like that, it'll be a miracle product.  I've gotten other microdermabrasion scrubs before in Birchbox, and I generally like them a lot.  They're usually a really fine grain scrub, and they're super effective without irritating your skin.  This product is only recommended for use 1-2 times per week, so it must pack a punch.  I'll give a go and let you know how it works out!

Product number five:

Benefit Cosmetics

They're Real! Mascara

Shade: Beyond Black

Full size, $24

Sample size - 0.1 oz

Sample value - $8.00

Benefit is becoming a favorite brand of mine--I already own a couple of products by them that I love: their Roller Lash Mascara and their Gimme Brow.  This mascara is often touted as a favorite by some of the beauty bloggers I follow, and is generally hailed as a "holy grail" of mascaras, so I'm pumped to have the chance to try it out.  Below is a close up of the brush--it's a rubber wand, but I noticed that it has a cluster of bristles on the tip of the wand.  My assumption is that these bristles allow access to tight spaces, like the inner corner of your eye.  

As I didn't have any makeup on--aside from the liquid lipstick from earlier, I decided to test the mascara out.  I first applied it only to one eye, and it was pretty noticeable.  Check it out below:

On the left side of this picture, I've applied the mascara. 

 Just to be thorough, I went ahead and applied it to both eyes to see the full effect.  I'm impressed, and definitely excited to use this mascara more in the future with full-on make up looks!

Well, there we have it, friends! I'm pleased with this month's box.  The overall value came to almost $40 ($38.27, to be "exact").  Again, the total value of the items in this box far exceeds the $10 price tag on the subscription.  If you're interested in signing up for your own Birchbox subscription, you can do so by clicking on this link.  

I guess that wraps up today's blog.  The next time I'm here, it'll be to share my July ipsy goodies with you!  I'm off to get some homework done so I can enjoy my time with the family this weekend.  I might take a stroll on the beach, but no worries--between the sharks and the jellyfish, you can bet I'll be doing all of my swimming a pool.  Stay safe, enjoy your summer, and as always, don't forget to be awesome.

Best wishes,

Marlee

Beauty Sample Redux: June in Review!

Holy cow, friends--how can July already be upon us?

It's time to take a look back at the samples I've had for this month from ipsy and Birchbox, along with a few little tidbits about another trip I took to Ulta (I have a problem, I know).  Let's just dive in and talk about the things I bought in this past month from Ulta first! (I'll use the same 5-star rating system as last month.)

Ulta Products:
I've shown you the eye shadow palette and the liquid lipstick palette, but in addition to that, I also grabbed a small kit of tarte brand products (called the tartlette 101 kit), and I decided to try out NYX's Liquid Illuminizer. Here are my thoughts on each of those.

• The Take Me There Palette by Ulta has been super fun to play with,  Not all of the colors have the same payoff pigmentation-wise, but I've been able to make some pretty nice eye looks incorporating these shadows.  The inconsistency in quality keeps me from being able to rate it higher than 4 stars, but it's a fun new tool to add to my (quickly growing) makeup arsenal. Here are a couple of eye looks I made incorporating this palette:

• The Ulta Liquid Lipstick Kit is also a really neat addition to my makeup collection.  I don't own any super bold lip colors like these, and while I've only worn the Pink Spritzer shade so far, I enjoyed wearing these.  They are suuuuper pigmented and really fun to add on when I've gone fairly low key everywhere else on my face.  They have a fair amount of lasting power, though I do have to watch that they don't run.  Overall, I really enjoy these.  Rating: 4 stars. Here's how I wore the pink shade earlier this month:

• The tartlette 101 Discovery Set was a really neat kit I found in Ulta, though I can't find it online to get you a link, which is a major bummer. (I found a link on Amazon, but it's waaaay overpriced.  Check your nearest Ulta store and see if you can get your hands on it.)  It's a kit that includes deluxe samples of tarte's  Amazonian clay bronzer and blush, a LipSurgence lip creme, their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, and their maracuja oil.  I've gotten to use all of them and I'm really liking getting to play with a higher end brand that I wouldn't normally be able to afford.  I'm going to go ahead and give this kit 5 stars.  It's a really great introduction to some of tarte's best selling products, and these deluxe samples will last me a good while!  Here's a picture of the pieces of this kit (also featuring the next product I'll be discussing):

• The last thing I purchased this month from Ulta could easily be purchased in a Walmart, Target, or drug store that carries NYX products.  I purchased their Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in the shade Gleam.  This is basically a liquid highlighter, and the shade is so gorgeous.  It's warm and golden and peachy and I can't say enough nice things about it.  Oh, and it's also on sale for like $5 right now at Ulta.  Check it out!  I'm easily going to rate this one 5 stars.  Will most definitely repurchase in the future.

ipsy Samples:

• OFRA Cosmetics Turquoise Eyeliner - This eyeliner is a pretty nice for a pencil eyeliner.  It's not as soft as some of the eyeliners I own and enjoy already and it pales in comparison to the indigo eyeliner I got in my Birchbox this month, but it's been fun to play with and I'll get as much use from it as I can. Rating: 3 stars
• LAVANILA LABORATORIES The Healthy Body Butter in Pure Vanilla - This was just okay for body butter.  The misleading scent is less of a vanilla and much more akin to a nutty/spicy kind of fragrance that I don't enjoy enough to get much use of.  It'll be good to throw into my suitcase for travel, but it's not a new favorite by any stretch.  Rating: 2 stars
• Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer - This primer is pretty awesome.  It's the subject of a lot of hype in the makeup community, and while it wouldn't be an everyday primer for me, it certainly does its job to make your skin look smoother and your makeup apply evenly.  Rating: 4 stars
• Formula X Nail Color in the shade Power Source - I haven't yet worn this nail polish, but the color is lovely and I'm considering painting my toes with it the next time I swap out my colors--I'm currently rocking a Revlon Nail Enamel in the shade 495 - Sultry.  Rating to come once I actually use the color!
• treStiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in the shade Kona Coffee - This little shadow crayon has proven really versatile for me.  I've used it to fill in my brows for some added drama, and I've used it to darken up the crease in my eyes, as seen in the brown eye look featured earlier in this post.  It's been fun to explore how to use such a dark color! Rating: 4 stars

Birchbox Samples:

• Temple Spa Good Hair Day Shampoo & In Good Condition Conditioner - I'm rating this duo together.  The shampoo was nothing super special, though the conditioner felt and smelled very nice.  I'll probably tuck these away for travel in the future, but I won't be jumping to purchase these in full size any time soon.  Rating: 3 stars
• Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels - These packed more of a punch than the Kloraine eye patches I got in last month's ipsy bag, but that's not saying a lot.  They're very refreshing for the first few minutes, but after wearing them for about 5 minutes, you don't notice any lasting effects.  Perhaps if I had more than one pair to try I could speak more to their efficacy, but either way, they were fun to play with,  Rating: 3 stars
• Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream SPF 45+ in the shade Medium-Deep - I did try out this BB cream all over my face one day in place of the Garnier BB Cream that I've basically fallen in love with, and while it felt nice and lasted all day, the shade was just a touch too dark for my face.  It wasn't enough to be problematic, but it was enough to make me think this shade just wasn't the best fit for me.  I'm glad I got to try it, though.  Rating: 3 stars
• Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner in the shade Indigo - This eyeliner beats the OFRA liner in a number of ways: it's creamier and easier to work with, it's much bolder color-wise, and it has pretty killer staying power.  Rating: 4 stars  Here's how it looked when I used it on my lower lash line paired with a black liner on my upper lid:

• Pura Vida Lace Headband - This little headband is pretty awesome for wearing around the house, especially when I need to be applying or removing makeup.  It was an extra this month and I'm glad to have it! Rating: 4 stars

Okay--that about wraps up this month in review.  I hope you're all enjoying your summer!  I've got about 4 more weeks or so of my current grad school course that just got started recently, and then I'll get a few weeks in August to chill out and not think about grad school OR work-school.  Though, let's be honest--I'll probably do some thinking about both.

I'm excited to see what July brings from Birchbox and ipsy, and I'll be back to tell you about both in the next couple of weeks.  As always, I implore you in the meantime--don't forget to be awesome.

Best wishes,

Marlee

June 2015 Birchbox!

Hello again, my friends!

I've just returned back to town after taking a little vacation to spend some time with my parents down in Myrtle Beach. :)  While I was gone, my Birchbox arrived, so it's time to take a look at the goodies I've gotten this month!

I don't have a whole lot of preamble to offer up, so I'm just going to dive right in.  Let's do this thing!

Here's my beautiful box--totally in love.

.

 Products number 1 & 2:

Temple Spa

Good Hair Day Shampoo

Full size, $14

Sample size - 0.84 fl oz

Sample value - $1.73

Temple Spa

In Good Condition Conditioner

Full size, $14

Sample size - 0.84 fl oz

Sample value - $1.73

These are the perfect size for travel, and they smell pretty good.  I'm excited to try them out and tell you more about my thoughts when I do my end of month wrap-up.  More to come on these!

Product number 3:

Skyn Iceland

Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

Full size, $30

Sample size - one pair

Sample value - $3.75

I'm looking forward to testing these out--they were my sample choice for this month's box.  Maybe tonight after I take off my makeup, I'll try them on and see how they go. I got a pair of eye patches from Kloraine in my ipsy last month and they were just okay, so hopefully these will actually offer noticeable relief.  Again, more to come later. 

Product number 4:

Dr. Jart+

Premium BB Cream SPF 45+

Shade 02 Medium-Deep

Full size, $39

Sample size, 0.17 fl oz

Sample value - $4.42

This is supposedly a light coverage foundation with built in anti-aging and a high SPF for protection.  The shade seems like an okay match for my skin tone, especially now that I've gotten some color.  I'll give this a go see how it looks on my face as a foundation--Dr. Jart+ is a mega-favorite in the skincare and makeup scene.  While I'm not likely to drop almost $40 on a full size, I'll certainly get the most I can out of this sample!

Product number 5:

Marcelle

Mini Waterproof Eyeliner

Shade: Indigo

Full size. $11

Sample size - 0.028 oz

Sample value - $7.70

Here's a swatch:

This is a really pretty, creamy eyeliner.  I'm excited to get some use--the texture is much softer than the Ofra eyeliner, so I think it'll be a whole lot easier to use.  I'll try to take some shots of it on my eye when I put it to use.

BONUS Product number 6:

Pura Vida

Lace Headband

Full size (pack of 8), $18

Sample size - one headband

Sample value - $2.25

This headband is super cute--it's very pretty light blue shade, and it fits very snugly--it may actually be a bit on the small side, but I'll use it while I can.  It'll be great for when I need to wash my face or take off/apply makeup.  

All in all, this month's box had some decent stuff in it.  Total value of this month's box was around $21.58, which is still well worth the $10 subscription price.  I've got a quite a few things that'll be fun to play with, and I'll be back in a week or two with some wrap up conclusions about this month's ipsy Glam Bag and Birchbox.

If you're interested in trying out Birchbox for yourself, click here to sign up and give it a try.  It's a super fun way to learn about and try out new products and I highly recommend it!

Okay, friends, that's it for now--in the meantime, don't forget to be awesome, and I'll be back soon with our June wrap up.

Best wishes,

Marlee

Ulta Mini-Haul!

Hello, my friends!

I took a walk through Ulta the other day and wound up purchasing a couple of fun items that were on sale.  Thought I'd share them with you!

First up is an eye shadow palette--this is the Take Me There Palette by Ulta.  It's a 16-shade palette that also includes an eye shadow primer and a small brush.  Here's the palette closed and opened--I used the flash on the open picture so you could better see the shades.

The primer is in the circle in the middle.

I haven't gotten to try these out on the lid yet, but I did do some swatches of each of the quads.  I'll include those below with the names of the shades--there's a handy dandy diagram on the back that helps with identifying the various shades. The top row in each of these pictures is over a thin layer of Hard Candy's Eyes the Limit eye shadow primer, the bottom row is without.  I'll give some first impressions after I share all of the swatches.  Let's take a look!

This first set is from the bottom quad.  Shades, from left to right, are:

Majesty

Green Machine

Brownie

Aztec Gold-

This quad is from the left side of the palette.  Shades pictured are:

Khahki

Sunburst

Sunrise

Mimosa

This is from the top quad on the palette.  Shades pictured are:

(Glitter Topcoat) Deep End

Glittering Sands

Key West

Sapphire

This last quad is the one on the right side of the quad.  It's one of my favorite sets, I think.  

Shades pictured are:

Hopeless Romantic

Elegance

Naked

Eggplant

First impressions: I'm excited to play around with these shades to make some more complex eye looks.  The primer is pretty useless as far as I can tell, so that's why I didn't use it in the swatches.  The one downside to not being "name brand" shadows is that while they all feel good, some of the shades are bit chalky.  My favorite shades tend to be the ones with a bit of shimmer, though I'm pumped on some of the darker matte shades because I know I'll have fun playing with those.  This kit was on sale for $9, and I figured for 16 shades, that was a steal no matter what.  I'll try to remember to take pictures as I play with these shades on my eyes and I'll update you when I get to my end of the month wrap-up.

In addition to the eye shadow palette, I was intrigued by a little Ulta Liquid Lipstick & Primer kit. This kit contains 3 bold liquid lipstick shades, along with a primer to wear beneath them and a small lip brush.  Bolder lip colors have become a point of interest for me over the past few months, and I figured this was an easy (and expensive) way for me to acquire some fun shades.  Here's the kit:

Here are some quick swatches on my wrist--I didn't bother with the primer here.

From left to right: Pink Spritzer, Ruby Red, and Mimosa

I figured actually seeing them on the lip was worth it, too  So here are each of the shades on my lips with a thin layer of the primer under them.  Let me begin by saying that when they say a little goes a long way, they mean it.  These things are super pigmented!

Pink Spritzer

Ruby Red

Mimosa

First impressions: I'm so stoked on these, friends.  They're going to be super fun for summer time, and they wear really easily.  This kit was on sale for $7.50, and it was worth every penny.  This may turn out to be the door that gets me into really liking super pigmented lip products--time will tell.

That about wraps up this mini haul--I hope you enjoyed learning about these products.  I look forward to giving you more of a review after some time to play around with them a bit more.  Until next time, don't forget to be awesome.

Best wishes,

Marlee