February Grails or Fails! + Bonus FOTD!

I am really excited to share with you guys the products I used this month, and let you know what I thought of the products! I'm not going to type out all the information since I did a video this month, so check that out if you want to know them! I will be including swatches of the products on here though, not in the video!

If you do watch the video, sorry for the poor sound and lighting quality. I've been so darn busy I haven't had time to film until late at night!

So now lets check out the swatches :)

L'Oreal Colour Riche in Rose for Romance

UD YDK

MAC Phloof!

Wet n Wild Vanity Palette

ELF Healthy Glow Bronzer in Warm Tan

MAC Creme d' Nude and Revlon Super Lustrous Lip gloss in Peach Petal

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

My video FOTD :)

Products Worn:

Primers: Pixi Flawless & Poreless
NYX HD Shadow Base
Foundation: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation
Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte
Bronzer: ELF Healthy Glow Bronzer
Highlight: Wet n Wild Reserve Your Cabana bronzer
Eyes: Vanity Palette & YDK
Jordana FabuLiner
Lips: Revlon Balm Stain in Crush

So I hope you enjoyed this post and my video :) If you have any questions about any of the products I mentioned, go ahead and ask them and I will answer them for you! What products did you try this month? Were they grails or fails?
Ashley

Product Rave: ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara!

I'm sure you guys will find this product to be pretty boring, but I seriously had to share the amazingness of this with you all.

I have been using the ELF eyebrow kit for a while and I have been loving it. I wanted to get a clear mascara to use as a brow gel just to lock my brows in place, just for extra security, so I thought eh why not try the ELF one. OMG. Seriously. For such a simple product, I adore this stuff.

This product keeps my eyebrows in place all day long, it doesn't make them feel crunchy, and it doesn't break my skin out. You are all probably thinking well it shouldnt, but I have super sensitive skin that reacts to so many things. I'm thankful when I find a product like this that doesn't break me out.

I know this product isn't an exciting one to talk about at all, but I think many people don't express the importance of eyebrows. I honestly neglected my eyebrows until I started using both of these ELF products and I can't tell you how much of a difference it truly makes. I definitely take the few extra minutes each day to do my eyebrows just so I look better overall.

This is seriously amazing, and only $1! Pick it up if you need a new brow product. What is your favorite brow product? Please share them with me, I'd love to know!
Ashley

Project Pan 2013!

Hello lovlies!

My best friend and I were planning for our summer trip to California this weekend, and we realized we need to start saving any money possible. So, she told me, neither of us can buy nail polish. At first my heart stopped because I'm an addict and thought that was impossible. I eventually accepted it and felt good, but then she said I can't buy makeup, and she can't buy clothes or shoes! I was devistated!

If you read my January grails or fails post though, you will see I purchase way too many things in just a month! So I'm planning on trying out this no buy for two months (from today 2/19 - 4/19) and see how it goes. I will link my video down below so you guys can go check it out. I will be doing a video in about a month on a progress update for my project pan. If you guys would like to do project pan with me, I think that would be awesome! I would love to have support while doing this. I don't have a specific amount of products I want to use up before I consider this done, but I do mention products in my video that I do want to use up.

Exceptions to my no buy: I will only repurchase mascara when all of mine are gone, and my wet n wild mega liner because I will not live without that product. I think I have enough powders to last me until then, but if not that is the only other thing I will buy. IF by some chance a limited edition product comes out that I am dying to have in that time, I won't stop myself from buying it. I just can't use it until my project pan is over.

I was really nervous about this at first, but I think I will be okay! Hopefully this will really help me appreciate the great products I already have. I already have wayyy too many products so I want to use them up or get rid of ones I will not use (hence my blog sale I have going on).

Fair warning: I do have a few orders that I'm still waiting to get in that I made last week (before this decision was made) so if you see me reviewing products I haven't mentioned yet, that is why. I am still going to use those products because I don't want to leave a ton of stuff sitting around forever (most of the things I got are products I don't have many of!) So I will still be able to do my February and probably March grails or fails post because I will not have everything tried out by the end of this month!

I hope you guys enjoy my project pan story :) If you have ever done project pan, let me know your experience down below! I'd love to know how it went for you!
Ashley

Products I've Been Loving: 2/1-2/17!

I must admit, this probably won't be a very exciting post. A lot of my favorites at the moments just so happen to be things I am trying to use up. Everything is really basic as well and all neutral, go figure. I hope you guys still enjoy this post!

Naked Palette - Seriously you guys, I do not regret this purchase at all. I cannot tell you how much use I get out of this palette. I use at least a shade or two out of here daily. My favorites lately have been virgin, naked, sidecar, darkhorse, and toasted. I seriously use all of these colors though. If you are hesistant to spend your money on this because of the price, please stop! It is worth every single penny.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude - This is simple. It is a nice nude color that sitcks around on the waterline for quite a while. It really brightens up your eyes, and makes you look wide awake. Inexpensive and fabulous :)

Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in Torch - This is such a good inexpensive base for eyeshadows. I'll be honest though, I never use the brown side of this, not my favorite. I definitely feel the other side is the perfect skin tone base that lasts all day. I will definitely repurchase this even though I only use one side (and I'm a person who hates being wasteful). Mine is almost gone so I'm basically just using it up so I can continue to use other things I have. THEN I will repurchase this.

ELF Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint in Natural - I seriously wear this all the time. I wear this all through out the day because it keeps my lips super hydrated and gives me a natural lip color. This also has a sugary taste in my opinion so it tastes yummy as well! I reapply this a lot :P

Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee - This is a gorgeous no fuss nude color. I like to just throw this on by itself and I know it will always look good.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Okay, sorry this looks so bad. I had completely hit pan and I only had a ring around the edges, and my brother was in my room and accidently knocked this off my desk. It shattered so I decided to put it more into the lid so I could crush it like a loose powder. It still works great and I cannot believe how much more use I am getting out of this from mashing it all up. This is definitely one of my HG powders, but I am just trying to use this up quickly since it kind of makes a mess and it is not the cutest thing to look at. I definitely recommend smashing up your powders if they break instead of throwing them away because I am getting way more use out of this now, rather than when this was pressed originally.

Maybelline Pure Stay Powder Foundation - I like to use this when I am having a low key makeup day. I've been using this quite often so I can just use it up and maybe eventually try something else. The main ingredient in this is talc and I don't want to keep packing that onto my face forever. Great stuff though if you aren't worried about possibly irritating your skin.

ELF Healthy Glow Bronzer - Okay, I love this stuff. This has a nice sheen to it, and I use this like you would a blush. It looks amazing on the skin. I seriously think I only paid $2 for this, I don't think it was one. I seriously didn't order this too long ago but when I went back to make another elf order, I didn't see this on their site so I don't know if I just missed this or if they aren't selling it anymore or what. Hope that isn't the case. If you can find this, I definitely recommend checking it out! It is so good.

Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette - I used this for a while then set it aside because I was using it so darn fast. I started using it recently because I saw people using the darker color that has a bit of peachyness to it using it under their eyes. I have applying this and then my favorite under eye concealer over it (maybelline instant age rewind) and then using the powder in this palette to set it. I have very minimal creasing considering I layer products, but the little amount of creasing can easily be fixed with a q-tip and I honestly don't mind that at all. Loving this palette for this reason.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - I feel like I mention this every time. Seriously it is that good though. I use this so much. Just go out and by it if you haven't already!

NOT PICTURED Sheer Cover Duo Concealer - I seriously adore this stuff. I used up my main one of this, hence why I didn't include it in the picture. I do have a back up of this, but I am trying to use up other palettes (like my sonia kashuk one). This is easily one of the best concealers I have ever used. It never looks cakey, I can use it to cover up redness, blemishes, anything. I could use this completely in place of foundation if I want. I love this product so so much. Check it out!

So what have your favorites been lately? Leave them down below!
Ashley

Ombre Lips!

Happy Valentine's Day, girls! What do you guys think of the ombre lips trend? I'm kind of loving it honestly. I saw a bunch of pictures on the internet and it just inspired me to try out my own ombre inspired lip.

I ended up using Maybelline Vivid lipstick in Shocking Coral all over my lips. I used Revlons Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush on the outer corners just to add a little depth to my lips. Finally, I placed a shimmery eyeshadow in the middle of the lips. I love how it turned out! This is definitely a look I wish I was daring enough to rock on a night out or something!

Here is another picture of the look up close. I personally like the way it looks. I'm definitely going to try this out with nudes and some bright pinks to come up with some fun ones for spring time!

Let me know how you feel about the ombre lips trend. I'd love to know what you guys think!
Ashley

L'Oreal Colour Riche Eye Shadow Palettes: Review!

I have heard good things about these eyeshadows so I caved and picked one up for myself. I was very happy with the selection of palettes they had out, but it made it so hard for me to pick which one I wanted! I spent seriously 10 minutes staring at all the options and then almost walked away because I couldn't decide. I almost went for the all matte palette, but somehow ended up picking up the quad in Rose for Romance. I thought this would be really pretty for Valentines day, hence why I used it for my Valentines makeup tutorial.

The packaging is very pretty, its gold and you can see the eyeshadows peeking through obviously. The back displays the name of the palette and also has a little guide you can follow if you need help using the shades you have picked out. I like the size of the palette because it is nice and sleek, definitely no excess packaging. I would say the first two shades are pretty metallic. You get a deeper rosy pink color, and a lighter pink. It also includes a taupey brown color and a deep dark brown.

The pigmentation on the darker colors is great, however I'm not too impressed by the main shade and the highlight. The highlight looks fine when applied to the eyes but swatched it sure doesn't. Talk about needing to layer a shade. I have to use my finger to apply the main color to really build it up. I also do not the formula of these two shades. The last two are both pigmented and a formulated nicely, but overall it isn't like an A+ palette.

Considering I can get 8 amazingly pigmented eyeshadows from wet n wild for $5, I will not purchase another one of these. I feel the formulation on all the colors needs to be the same to make these palettes better. While all the shades in this quad a pretty, the fomulation isn't. I will continue to use this, but it definitely isn't something I will reach for daily. So sorry guys, I can't really recommend these! I feel like I can find much better eyeshadows at the drugstore. For $8, I am going to save my money and invest it in better shadows. What are your favorite eyeshadows from the drugstore?
Ashley

Valentine's Day Makeup!

I don't know about you girls, but I love Valentine's day. Even if you girls don't have a boy to spend your Valentine's day with, you can still dress up and have some fun :) Get together with your girl friends and celebrate together. Do something fun, don't just sit around! I won't be spending the day with my boy (separated because of college), but I'm still going to do my makeup and look nice for our skype date :P No matter what you are doing this Valentine's day, enjoy it!

I did a Valentine's day inspired tutorial using new drugstore makeup products, check it out!

Product's used:
Prior to filming:
Pixi Flawless and Poreless
Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation & Powder
On video:
NYX HD Shadow Base
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
L'Oreal Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Rose for Romance - Review to come
Naked Palette (Naked)
Wet n Wild Mega Liner
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner
Maybelline the Rocket Mascara
ELF Healthy Glow Bronzer in Warm Tan
ELF Eyebrow Kit
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Primrose

That's all for this post. Just wanted to get something up for you girls! I'll be back with a new post very soon!
Ashley

January 2013 Empties!

So I've been collecting a bag of my trash to share with you all :) Sounds so bad but I happen to love these videos on youtube, and reading blog posts about them! I like empties posts because it sometimes takes a lot of effort to finish one product (especially if you don't like it!) I thought I would share my thoughts with you on the products I have used up, so you can get an idea of what I liked and what I didn't! I likely won't be able to do this post monthly, it'll probably be every few months, just so you guys know!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeeep Conditioner
I use this as my every day conditioner, bad I know, but I love this stuff. I have a scalp condition that only allows me to use normal shampoo every other day, so my hair is very dry and lifeless basically. I use this on the ends of my hair daily and it really helps my hair look a whole lot better. The smell is great, makes my hair really soft, and a bottle of this surprisingly does last me a little while.
Would I repurchase: Yes

Equate Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover
I use to use the Clinique one, that was super expensive. In my opinion, this works the exact same as that one, if not better! This costs under 4 dollars at walmart and it is truly amazing. I finished up two of these in a year so they do last quite a while! It doesn't feel oily at all (it is oil free, duh Ashley) and doesn't irritate my eyes. This slashes through waterproof makeup if I do wear it, so this stuff is great. I definitely recommend you check this out!
Would I repurchase: Yes

Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in Apple Pie
Had to share this with you because it smells amazing! I seriously use to put this on and everyone in the room would be able to smell it and compliment it. With it being flu season at work, I use these things like crazy and I've almost fully used up a lemon one as well, probably has one more use in it. These are so good and inexpensive and the awesome smells makes them even better.
Would I repurchase: Yes

Too Faced LashGasm Mascara
This was an all right mascara. It lengthed really well but I didn't get any volume out of this. My main complaint is it dried up really super fast. It is a dry formula to begin with, but this lasted me less than a month before it got to dry to use. Kind of disappointing because high end mascaras are not cheap.
Would I repurchase: No

Benefit BadGal Lash
Oh my goodness. This did nothing for my tiny lashes. I put it on my top lashes and it basically looked like I did nothing to them. I know a lot of people rave about this mascara, but it is not for me. I had to force myself to use this on my lower lash line. It worked pretty well for that but I wouldn't spend the money on this mascara just to use it for that.
Would I repurchase: No no no

Maybelline One by One
I seriously don't even want to talk about this one. I didn't get any volume out of this mascara. A little length, that is all. I'm not sure why people love this, it definitely didn't work for me.
Would I repurchase: I think you can guess

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker
This stuff is really good. The tip on this is very fine and small, making it super easy to control. It is highly pigmented and takes forever to use up/dry out! If you love marker type eyeliners, this one won't disappoint you. Just make sure to use with a primer or this can get ugly. I do have another of these so I may do a full length review on this.
Would I repurchase: Yes

So that is it for the products I have used up lately. I know they weren't very exciting, but I thought I would share this with you anyways so maybe I can help steer you away from products, or give you new recommendations! Let me know if you liked this post down below, as well as share some of the things you have used up lately and your thoughts on them! I'm finally going to go throw my trash away ;)
Ashley

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation & Powder: Review!

I am very excited to share this new line with Revlon with you all. They released a Nearly Naked line consisting of 16 foundation shades and 6 powder shades I believe. You know I love me some Revlon products, so I picked these up on a whim.

I was browsing the drugstore one day and picked up the foundation without realizing what I was doing. I've mentioned this before, I'm not much of a foundation wearer, but for some reason I thought I needed this. I don't regret my decision to buy this at all!

The color range is amazing in this line so I can almost bet none of you will have a problem finding a shade that will match you. This product is very lightweight on the skin, which means the coverage is also very light. However, you can build this up to get more coverage out of it if you need to. This doesn't cake up on me so I know you can build it up. When I look at my skin after applying this, it looks very nice. It is very easy to blend this foundation out and I know you can apply this any way you choose.

I have been using my Sigma F84 brush to apply this and I couldn't be happier. With this brush I am able to stipple this into my skin, and then blend it out, if that makes sense to you all.

I definitetly recommend starting in the center of your face and working out with this foundation just because a little of this product goes a long way. If you work from center outwards you can use the least amound of product because you can see it work nicely into your skin. With the light coverage of this foundation, I am able to cover all the redness on my face, but it doesn't cover acne, scars, anything like that in a light application. My skin looks very nice when I wear this and I couldn't be happier. I am surprised at what this truly does for my skin while still being a light weight product.

Now onto the powder. This has got to be the most light weight powder I have ever used. The texture is very nice. It is very smooth, and light weight. There is not a powdery feel to this product either! It isn't chalky like most powders out there. The best part is I don't have product flying around when I swirl a brush into this. Your brush picks up just the right amount of product and doesn't send any flying into the air. This does come with a little puff you can use to apply this to the skin, but I rarely use those, I'd rather stick with using my own brushes. On the skin, you cannot detect a trace of powder. Fair warning, this does not provide any extra coverage so if you prefer those powders this isn't for you. I feel like this does a very nice job of keeping my skin looking nice throughout the day. The products work very nicely together and I am impressed by them both.

I love that the packaging is white on these products, I think it just looks very classy. I don't have a problem with the foundation package, other than I would definitely prefer to have a nozzle on this so I could squirt product out rather than pour (I feel like I waste product this way). The powder packaging is very bulky and most of it is unnecessary but what can you do. I'm glad they included a mirror, even if it is small, so I'm not too upset with the packaging.

Overall, I give this line an A. I really ended up loving this foundation which surprised me very much (I've wore it every day since I purchased it!) and the powder is very nice as well. I've saw this product at all the drugstores I've been to lately so I don't think you will have a problem finding this line. What are your favorite Revlon products?
Ashley