Nordstrom Clinique Bonus Gift with Purchase

Nordstrom currently has an offer online and in stores for a free bonus gift set with any Clinique purchase of $29 or more with the codes REPAIR or EVEN. You get an 8 piece gift set with an $85 value.

Ulta 5 for $5 Stocking Stuffers and Accessories

Ulta is currently having a 5 for $5 sale on small stocking stuffers. They have a bunch of  Ulta makeup as well as a bunch of face masks available on the website. The offer is valid until November 24th.

The Ad.

I picked up two of the matte lip crayons, a brow pencil, a brow duo, and a compact mirror. The brow pencil and brow duo are both usually $8, so it's a great deal if you want to pick up any of those, or anything else, really.

e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Cream Review

This cream blush and bronzer duo from elf comes in one color, St. Lucia, and is $3. On their website, it is described as:

"Ideal for all skin types, this dual cream bronzer and blush creates a sheer, natural wash of color on the skin. The lightweight cream-to-powder formula provides extended wear and allows you to layer for desired intensity. Sculpt eyes, cheeks, lips, body and anywhere you wish to highlight and contour with the rich cream formula."

When I applied these with my fingers, they were very smooth and easy to blend out. They are really nice and pigmented as well. I like this for days when I'm wearing minimal makeup. Since my skin is pretty dry, this stays on my skin much better than powder blush and bronzer would without anything underneath. I was impressed by how natural it looked on. If you have dry skin, this is a great drugstore cream blush and bronzer duo.

Benefit Fake Up Undereye Concealer Review

Benefit's Fake Up Concealer is an undereye concealer and is $24 for a full size. On their website, it says:

"Cover-up goes incognito! This hydrating crease-control concealer - with vitamin E & apple seed extract - hides dark circles & diffuses fine lines for a silky smooth, ultra-natural look. Available in three shades, it's proven to keep skin hydrated for 6 hours!"

At first glance, it looks similar to the Dior Fix It Concealer, which is $36. I got this concealer in a small sample size in medium.

It glides on and is has a somewhat oily and thinner consistency than most concealers. It felt hydrating under my eyes, but I did notice that it creased a lot, which is especially disappointing considering it's supposed to be a crease-control concealer. I'd skip this concealer. The Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer I always use doesn't crease and is only $4 more than this. There are a lot of better concealers out there.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Brulee Review

The Wet n Wild Brulee eyeshadow is actually one I've had for a long time now and for so far use almost every time I do my makeup. Brulee is matte and only 99 cents, which is super cheap for nice single eyeshadows. They also come in 6 other colors, including a matte brown and a matte black.

It's actually a shade lighter than it looks in the picture above and, for light skin tones, a nice transition shade. This eyeshadow is very pigmented and smooth, as well as being very easy to blend out. As you can see in the swatches above, it's a pretty light shade. I've heard about this being a dupe for Mac's Brule, but I don't have that shadow to compare it to, but looking at swatches online they look very similar. I'd say give these and the other Color Icon eyeshadows a go.

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Review

I have a small sample of theBalm's Cindy-Lou Manizer that comes in a little mini book. The full size is $24. On the site, it's described as:

"An all-in-one essential, this smart shadow, beautiful blush and subtle highlighter is tucked inside a go-anywhere compact. The light-reflecting peachy pink hue adds a splash of color to your cheeks and a hint of shimmer to your lids, while illuminating your finest features."

It's pink and very shimmery. The texture is smooth and buttery. I prefer to use this as a highlighter, even though it looks like it might be too dark when swatched, it works fine since it's so shimmery and reflective. This would also make a nice highlighter for medium or darker skin tones.

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny Review

This bronzer is $2.99. It comes in a small compact that takes a bit of effort to close, but doesn't feel too cheap. The only part I don't really like about the packaging is the hinge, which is just a thin part of the plastic folded, which does feel slightly flimsy, but should hold up just fine.

Packaging aside, though, the product is really nice, especially for the price. It's a more reddish bronzer, so it's not the best for contouring, but it's great for warming up and adding color back into your face. The powder is buttery, blends out easily, and is very pigmented. For $2.99, I'd definitely recommend trying this out.

ModelCo Blush Cheek Powder in Peach Bellini Review

The ModelCo blush comes in 3 shades and is $22 for the full size. I have a small one from an Ipsy bag a while ago and decided to make a post about it. I have the blush in Peach Bellini, which as you can tell by the name, is a peach shade. In the description on the site, it says:

"ModelCo’s BLUSH Cheek Powder creates a beaming, rosy glow to brighten every complexion. The micronized colour pigments and luxurious, pressed powder delivers a sheer, natural radiance that lasts all day."

It's very pigmented, so be sure to use a light hand with this. It feels very buttery and smooth and was easy to blend out. It's a medium peach color and is pretty shimmery. Personally, it was a bit too shimmery for me. When applied very lightly, though, I did like how it looked. It really depends on how you want to use it. Even though I do like this blush, I wouldn't pay $22 for it when there are other blushes I like more from and ones that come in a wider range of colors.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Contouring Palette in Dulce De Leche Review

These are $3.93 and only available at Walmart. It comes in two shades, Dulce De Leche, which is slightly lighter and warmer, and Caramel Toffee, which is more pink toned and darker. Both of these are matte. They're pretty big, measuring about 4x4 inches and containing 0.46oz (13g) of product.

The formula is smooth and easy to blend out, but make sure to tap some of the excess off or be careful when applying this so that the powder doesn't go everywhere. Overall, I really like this as a good simple drugstore contour palette.

2015 September Favorites

Now that September's over, I figured I'd make a post about the products I'd been using and liking the most throughout the past month.

1. Elf Shimmer Palette, $3

Since making my post about this, I've been liking it even more. Before, I had mentioned how the colors all looked fairly similar when applied, but I've actually starting liking the subtle color more. They still have a slight hint of the color, but just enough so that it looks like more of a natural glow than a really bright highlight if it isn't applied too heavily. It gives a really nice glow and since they're creams, they work really well on my dry skin.

2. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Caramel, $5

I have this in Caramel, which is a very nude color. It looks like my natural lip color but brighter and with more shine. It doesn't have too much shimmer and looks very natural on. It's hydrating and is basically like a little shimmery tinted lip balm. This also has a bit of a peppermint flavor and smells really nice.

3. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, $28

This is my favorite concealer I've tried so far. It feels light and blends out smoothly. As an undereye concealer, this has minimal creasing, and as it's advertised, feels weightless. Overall, it's just a really nice concealer.

4. Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain in Caffeine Fix and Truffle in Paradise, $2.99 each

I have a post on these, where I describe in detail how much I like these. My two favorite colors right now are Caffeine Fix, a slightly darker nude, and Truffle in Paradise, a dark brownish shade. I really like Caffeine Fix for a nude lip and Truffle in Paradise when I'm want a darker lip for fall and for the color it stains my lips.

5. Elf Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder, $3

I've been using this setting powder with my Naked Skin concealer and it makes it so that my concealer doesn't crease at all. It does have some shimmer in it, but it doesn't transfer to your undereyes, so you won't end up looking like you have sparkly undereyes.

6. BareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Cream Eyeshadow SPF 15 in Divine Wine, $18

I have a little tube of this from either an Ipsy bag or Birchbox a while ago. Lately, I've started liking this a lot more, especially on days when I don't feel like doing my eye makeup, I'll just put this on and blend it out with my fingers. It has some shimmer in it, but only a very small amount, and over time I found that they wore off anyway. It adds a really nice simple color to the eyelids and quickly dries to a matte powder finish.

Those are the products I liked the most in September. What are yours?

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso Review

I decided to get Luminoso because it seemed like a nice light peach shade. They're $8.49 each and come in 9 colors. On their website, it says:

"This silky blush with benefits can be used so many ways. It shapes, it contours, it highlights. Sunbaked on Italian terracotta tiles, it’s buildable from sheer to vibrant. Yes, it adds a cheeky pop of colour to your complexion. Radiance and warmth, too."

This blush has a pretty natural finish with a slight shimmer to it that only shows up up close. The texture is silky and smooth and feels very light. It's good to give a light natural glow or to add a nice flush to your cheeks, depending on how much you build it up.

The packaging has the blush on one side of the compartment in the middle and a small mirror on the other side. Like most of Milani's packaging, the compact is gold colored and just looks really nice, especially for a drugstore brand. Overall, I really like this blush and will probably pick up a few more shades later.

Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer in Carrie and Big Review

I ordered the Too Faced Soul Mates Blush Bronzer Duo in Carrie and Big along with the Little Black Book of Bronzers, which I made a post about last week. It's $34 on the website and comes in two colors, Carrie and Big, and Ross and Rachel.

Carrie and Big is warmer with a peach blush and Ross and Rachel is cooler with a pink blush. The packaging is nice and really easy to open and has a big mirror at the top. The compact is very easy to open and close while still feeling sturdy and looks very sleek.

As for the formula, they were very nice and smooth. The blush is much smaller than the bronzer and can be difficult to pick up with a bigger brush without also picking up bronzer along with it. Personally, I do tend to use a lot more bronzer than blush, so I doubt I'll run out of blush before bronzer.

The bronzer goes on nicely but is also very light, so if you have more of a medium skin tone, it may not show up as well or you might have to build it up more. Even though the blush and bronzer are more sheer, they are buildable. If you like a really soft natural look, this would be a good blush and bronzer duo.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer SPF 15 in Reserve Your Cabana Review

After looking around online for recommendations on drugstore highlighters, I decided to get the Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. For only $3.99, I figured I'd give it a go considering Wet n Wild rarely ever disappoints me. It also comes in two more colors, Ticket to Brazil, more of a medium brown shade, and Bikini Contest, a slightly more reddish brown. This bronzer, for most skin tones, will work much more like a highlight than as a bronzer unless you have very, very pale skin.

It has a very slight shimmer to it and has an SPF of 15. The formula is super smooth and buttery and is easy to blend out. It is also very pigmented, and since it comes in such a big compact, will last you a really long time. If you're looking for a nice cheap drugstore highlight and bronzers, definitely check these out.

Too Faced Little Black Book of Bronzers Review and Swatches

I ordered the Little Black Book of Bronzers from the Too Faced website along with a Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer I'll be making a post about later. The bronzer book is $49.

The book itself is 7x7 inches and contains 8 bronzers. Each bronzer is 2.5g (0.08 oz), with 17.5g (0.56 oz) of bronzer in total, so don't buy this expecting full size bronzers. They're small, but there's still more than enough for most people to take a while to go through. With the book being $49, that makes each bronzer a little over $6.

Swatched on arm, no flash.

With flash.

The formulas are all good, the same silky smooth feeling you get from the regular Too Faced bronzers. I noticed the ones with shimmer were especially smooth and glided on when swatched.

In the Chocolate Soleil bronzers, Milk Chocolate and Chocolate are cooler toned than Dark Chocolate, which is much warmer. The Chocolate Soleil and Endless Summer bronzers are matte, while the Bunny bronzers and Pink Leopard are shimmery. It's a nice variety of different high quality bronzers for $49.

Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain Review and Swatches

The MegaSlicks Balm Stains are crayon lip balm stains enriched with acai and palm oil, as stated on their website. According to the site, they're supposed to glide on smoothly while conditioning your lips and form a protective shield to prevent feathering. I picked up four shades, Nudist Colony, Caffeine Fix, Rio Mauve, and Truffle in Paradise.

Looking at these, they seem very similar to many other balm stains, mainly the Revlon Color Stay Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. These are $2.99, much cheaper than most other balm stains, and come in more brown nude shades than the Revlon ones. If you're looking for a much less expensive option, these are around $6 cheaper, depending on where you buy them.

Swatched, no flash.

With flash.

These glide on very smoothly and hydrate your lips as well as any regular lip balms. They start off a tiny bit glossy and after around an hour, dry to a matte finish. The lighter shades left a nice slight tint and the darker shades left a more noticeable stain. There is no need to use a lip balm beforehand and they didn't feel drying at all.

Nudist Colony seems similar to the Revlon one in Charm and Truffle in Paradise could be a dupe for Adore. Unfortunately, I don't have the two Revlon shades, but comparing pictures of them side by side, they look very close.

Charm, Nudist Colony, Adore, and Truffle in Paradise.

I was very impressed by these, especially considering how cheap they are and being available in 12 shades. I'll probably be picking up a few others later since I like these so much.

e.l.f. Studio Shimmer Palette Review and Swatches

The e.l.f. Studio Shimmer Palette is a highlighting palette currently only available on the elf website. On the site, it's described as weightless and creamy, and is supposed to give your skin a healthy and natural glow. It's $3 and comes with four shades- white, peach. bronze, and pink.

Swatched, no flash.

With flash.

Here, I swatched them on pretty thickly to better show the different colors, but I noticed that when I was applying them lightly to my face that they all ended up looking fairly similar in color. As for the formula, the first thing I noticed when applying them with my fingers was that it feels like they literally melt when touched. They don't feel heavy at all on and a thin layer gives plenty of shimmer. They apply very smoothly and were easy to blend out.

Something I'd also like to mention is that when I was looking at reviews on the website, a lot of people thought this was an eyeshadow palette or that it was powder. I wouldn't recommend using this as anything other than what it seems to be meant for, which is a cream highlighting palette.

For $3, this is a pretty nice cream highlighter palette. The only con is really that the colors end up looking so similar if applied thinly. If you like shimmery highlights, I'd say give this a go.

e.l.f. Smudge Pots Review and Swatches

I picked up a bunch of the elf smudge pots during a 50% off sale they were having earlier this month. These are, according to their website, a smooth gel formula, can be used as an eyeshadow or eyeliner, and are enriched with vitamin E. They are similar to the Maybelline Color Tattoos, which themselves are dupes for the MAC Paint Pots. For $3 each, it's definitely a much cheaper option.

Swatched onto arm, no flash.

With flash.

As you can probably tell, the darker colors seem more pigmented when swatched, but when applied to the eyes, the lighter colors still have pretty good color payoff. They set fairly quickly and lasted throughout the day and removal is easy. I like using them as a base and then applying powder shadows around or over it.

Overall, these are great, especially for the price. They're pigmented and long-lasting, great if you want to quickly swipe something on your eyelids and come in eleven different shades. I would definitely recommend giving these a go.