Too Faced, Lipstick Queen & M.A.C. | Spring Makeup Haul 3.20.17

I went impromptu spring makeup shopping yesterday! I originally wanted to purchase my first high-end foundation (preferably Nars Sheer Glow in Mt. Blanc) however they didn't have it at the Sephora I was at. I forwent the foundation for three other impromptu items! And I say "impromptu" because as we were driving past Ulta, I remembered they were having another 21 Days of Beauty event. I ran in and grabbed the Too Faced Love Flush Long-Lasting 16-Hour Blush in "How Deep is Your Love?" The packaging is adorable and they had quite a few shades to pick from! There is a decent sized mirror inside as well as the cutest printed design on the blush itself 😍

While in the checkout line I saw a display for the Lipstick Queen Frog Prince lipstick! Every time I tried to purchase it, it was always sold out. So I, unfortunately, spent an extra $25 but hey, it was worth it! I also struggle to find a "your lips but better" color that won't smudge or ball up so this color was perfect! It does, however, dry my lips out a bit so I suggest a chapstick before applying.

Last, but not least, I went to my local M.A.C. counter. Now I know makeup goes bad but I never had an issue with concealers. I have the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden and it is definitely bad. I know it's also an eyeshadow primer so I only use it when applying eyeshadow or liner to my lids. However, when applying my eyeshadow on top of the primer, it makes these skip marks and just seems like the product dries out once applied. It makes everything look bad so I wanted to upgrade to a M.A.C Paint Pot in Painterly. Hopefully, this product won't give me the same issue if it does go bad (fingers crossed I use it before that happens!)

I will probably do another makeup video on my YouTube channel for a spring makeup look using these new products! 

Happy Spring! 🌹💐🐰🌸

Xx Steph

Kiko: Makeup by Milano Review

While at the mall a few months ago, I noticed a new makeup store and from the looks of it, it looked as if it were an expensive makeup brand. What cheap brand has their own store anyway? But I went in to check it out because I love makeup and OMG they're about the same price as any drugstore brand like NYX or Maybelline! My excitement though when I realized I could buy more than one product haha. So I got a few and even went back for more to stock up! They also offer amazing deals and most of their products have a heavy discount.

I have very dry skin all year so I love trying new face creams. I used to use the Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream but when I discovered this one, I decided to give it a try. I also went back and bought a few more when they were on sale! So it promises 24 hours of hydration which I think it covers a significant amount of that time. However, it does leave your skin oily/greasy (which didn't break me out) and it then leaves a bit of a hard layer on my face powder due to the oil. I've now started to use blotting sheets after applying the face cream and my foundation! I'm not sure if they still sell this in stores because I could not find it online but I would recommend any of their moisturizers!

This is Kiko's Soft Touch Blush in Cookie (100) as a bronzer! One of the employees recommended it to me as a bronzer and it works like magic! I love the slim packaging and that the product itself has some shimmer to it. I wear this as my bronzer year-round! I think this blush/bronzer would look nice on fair skin since it is a lighter shade and an added bonus is the little mirror inside which is perfect for doing your brows on the go! This retails for $3.90 with 67% off. 

In addition to moisturizers, I loooooove lip products. This is the Creamy Lipgloss in the shade Pearly Strawberry Pink (102). It is similar to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in formula and packaging, however, the Kiko version's scent (mint) is only present after it is applied and is also very subtle. I love easy lip-glosses such as this one because you can just pop it on and go with no mirror needed! There is a bit of shimmer but no chunks of shimmer! This lipgloss retails for $9.00 on their website.

The final Kiko product I bought was this eyeshadow stick. I wanted a neutral color but I thought I had purchased the bronze one instead of this skin-tone color because it is VERY light even on my fair skin.

June IPSY Bag

I have been receiving the IPSY bag for quite some time now and I feel as though it has never really hit the nail on the head with me. I'm typically sent hair products like a sea salt spray and I actually hate using them. I have thin, straight hair and they never work and I also do not like the look of crunchy waves in my hair. Recently, I went onto the IPSY website to change some of my preferences so I will give it one more try for the July bag but after that I might switch to another! Let me know in the comments below your experience with the IPSY bag and what your favorite monthly bag is!

This first product is a blush by Seraphine Botanicals in the shade "Happy Hibiscus". It's almost like a bronze color but with pink undertones. It is also listed as a blush for all skin types! Also, the packaging on this blush is so adorable. I love clean, plain packaging and the added laurel design around the name is so cute! This product is also not tested on animals, gluten-free, GMO-free and vegan!

Next is a beach spray by Marc Anthony. Again, I never use these products so I don't know why I'm sent them but it did leak a bit and the smell is amazing! It basically smells like a coconut suntan lotion so if you love the scents of summer, you'll love this product.

I've received quite a few nail lacquers in my IPSY bags and I have another for this month! This one is by Adesse New York and is an organic infused nail lacquer in the shade "Irina". The shade is a nice blue-gray and perfect for the summer if you do not like neon/bright shades but in some lights is almost like a lavender. The one thing I didn't understand when I opened this month's bag was that the cosmetic bag that came with everything is neon with bright colors and designs but none of the products are bright or neon. 

The last product I got was a sample size of Urban Decay's "Fireball" eyeshadow. It is to celebrate Urban Decay's 20th birthday and "Fireball" happens to be their most iconic shade. In some lights this shadow looks peach and in others pink due to it's duotone nature. I love that it comes in a small magnetic tin so that I can depot other shades that I have and add it to them!

Xx Steph