Generation Beauty New York Series: Event Review

I was really excited to attend Generation Beauty this year after seeing all of the vloggers posting everywhere about how great it was in L.A. (I also wasn't aware this was the first year it would be in New York.) However, I'm sad to say that the event did not live up to the hype for me. My sister and I did a ton of research before attending this event but couldn't find much information on what to expect. That being said, I'm hoping that this post will serve as a helpful guide for those considering going in the future.

My biggest complaint would probably be about how disorganized it all was. The lines were all over the place, the meet-ups were chaotic, and the event staff gradually became more and more rude to the attendees. It was my impression based on the reviews from L.A. that there were going to be panels, Q&A's, meet-ups, shopping, and lots of freebies. Unfortunately, it didn't come close to living up to this expectation. Upon arriving on day 1, we were give a sheet of paper tabs with each brands logo on it and told that turning in each tab would get us some freebies from the correlating booth. This was true, but it was hardly that simple. Nearly every booth required us to participate in a service or an extremely extensive social media post for their benefit. This may not seem like a big deal, but consider a room of 3,000 makeup gurus, all wanting to get their freebies, and then tack on the 2-5 minutes each task took...yeah, not pleasant. The entire event consisted of waiting in line for hours just to get what was typically a travel-sized product or a sample packet. There were also no charging stations, no drink machines, and the only food available consisted of two food trucks parked outside of the venue with lines that easily were 40 minutes to an hour long wait.

Yes there were meet & greets scheduled...for THIRTY. MINUTES. Again, a room of 3,000 makeup gurus who worship Ipsy stylists and you're going to schedule their meetups for 30 minutes? No, try again. Yes, I will give some of the stylists credit for staying longer than they were scheduled so they could talk to more fans, but the scheduling conflicts in conjunction with the 300 person lines made it extremely discouraging to even try.

And speaking of the Ipsy stylists...
Those girls couldn't have been on the floor longer than two hours each day. I saw them very briefly in passing when they were exiting or beginning a meet up but other than that I was incredibly disappointed with how little they showed their faces. I also know for a fact that they weren't on the floor with fans because they were consistently snapchatting from their VIP room that they were just screwing around with each other! Not a cool move to shaft the fans that came to see you and just chill backstage with your friends.

Anyway, just to provide an example of how ridiculous the freebie requirements were, here's the Makeup Forever story. Word spread quickly that Makeup Forever was giving out full-size bottles of the Ultra HD Foundation and you could also get it custom engraved. Sweet deal, right? Again, not that easy. We had to wait in line and once we reached the front we were assigned to a vanity with an artist to color match us. After getting color matched, we received a black wristband and were instructed to go to a corner where we could pick it up. Well, when we got to that corner, we had to take a selfie in front of the wall, post it to Instagram, hashtag it with two tags they made, show them as proof, and then get in another line to enter a sweepstakes on their ipad. After all that, we got a white wristband and were instructed to go wait in another line to pick up our foundation. We did end up getting a nice makeup bag and a mini primer sample as well, but the fun wasn't over yet. From there, we could get our bottles engraved; after all this why wouldn't you just get the extra fanciness? So I was then told to get in another line, where I could go on Sephora's website and post a review of the foundation (the foundation I was merely color matched to not 10 minutes earlier...) or we could go in front of the cameraman and talk about how much we loved the foundation. After proving that I posted a review, they gave me a grey wristband, and I got in ANOTHER line to write down what I wanted engraved. After turning that in, they told me to come back in 30 minutes.

The entire process took an hour. Freaking ridiculous, and I was only able to even get it because we literally sprinted in on the second day; all of day one they constantly had the line closed off and kept telling us to come back later. It was insanity. I nearly didn't even get my foundation after it was finished because the evil security told me to wait in the wrong line that was 2+ hours long; we only happened to bump into an event coordinator who directed me to the right one, which was 4 people long.

So just to recap, did I get a lot of free stuff? Yes. Did I get pictures with some stylists? Yes. Was it worth it? Probably not. I'm glad I at least experienced it but I couldn't go through that again. The event was seriously 8 hours of standing in line trying to "earn" free stuff that our $95 tickets essentially paid for. I really wish a brand as large as Ipsy had a better plan together but as someone who went to college for PR and event planning, I expected a lot more.

I'll have some more details in my upcoming Gen Beauty Survival Guide Post. Hope this was helpful!

Here's what I accumulated throughout the day with my brand tickets:

• Derma-e: Tote bag, mini purifying toner mist, charcoal mask sample packets, coupons
• It Cosmetics: Mini CC Cream and mini Bye Bye Under Eye
• SOHO: 2 tribal print makeup bags and 1 clear plastic makeup bag
• Belif: Tote bag, mini Moisturizing Bomb moisturizer and sample packet of Aqua Bomb moisturizer
• Elizabeth and James: Nirvana Black and Nirvana White perfume samples
• Dermalogica Clear Start: Mini Overnight Treatment and Hydrating Lotion sample packets
• Eva-nyc: Mini Conditioner and compact mirror
• Skin Inc: Mini Vitamin C Serum and Pure Revival/Overnight Wonder Mask sample packets
• Mally: Mini Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Liner in "Midnight"
• Ofra: Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in "Laguna Beach"
• Gallany Cosmetics: First Class Lash Mascara in "Private Jet Black"
• Laura Geller: Love Me Dew Lip Crayon in "Plum Freeze"
• SKINN: Caviar Lip Cream in "Bare"
• Temptu: Mini Color True Lip Gloss in "Clear"
• Klorane: Mini shampoo with mango butter, mini shampoo with flax fiber, mini volumizing spray
• Jouer: Long-Wearing Eye Clarifier, Long-Wearing Eye Definer in "Mure," mini lip gloss in "Rose Glisten," mini eyelash curler, 4 necklaces, 2 rings, and 1 pair of earrings
• NYX: Lip Liner Pencil in "Toast" and "Tangerine," and Intense Butter Gloss in "Funnel Delight"
• Crown Brush: Mini eyeshadow brush
• Jesse's Girl: Nail Polish in Black and Glittery Orange, and Mineralized Baked Eye Shadow in "Rosemary Frost"
• Makeup Forever: Sheet of flash tattoos, Ultra HD Foundation with custom engraving

 

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own

Generation Beauty New York Series: Goodie Bags Day 1 & 2

If you're familiar with Generation Beauty you may already know that the goodie-bags provided at the end of each day can be a large part of the motivation to attend for some people. While it is an exciting aspect of the event and I'm happy they provided them for us, I can't help but feel like the bags were a little bit underwhelming.

Many of the items in them were either slightly larger things we had already received from booths that day (I say slightly larger because few things were full sized) and the size of the bags themselves were smaller than I had been lead to believe they would be based on previous reviews I saw from LA . I know this may make me sound greedy but keep in mind these tickets were $95 + personal travel costs of getting there all the way from Virginia.

Regardless, there is some good stuff in these bags that I may have never tried on my own, so I can definitely appreciate the diversity of brands included.

1. Formula X Nail Polish in "Pyrotechnic" (full size)
2. Mally High-Shine Liquid Lipstick Pen in "Delish" (full size)
3. Crown C410 Flat Concealer Brush (full size)
4. Temptu Highlighter in "Champagne Shimmer"
5. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray
6. SOHO Retractable Kabuki Brush (full size)
7. Benefit They're Real Mascara
8. NYX High Voltage Lipstick in "Tiara" (full size)
9. Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara
10. Skin Inc. Pure Revival Peel
11. Moroccan Oil Hand Cream
12. It Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
13. It Cosmetics Tightline
14. Cargo HD CC Cream in "Medium" (full size)
15. Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder

1. Dermalogica Clear Start School Day Skin Essentials- Breakout Clearing All Over Toner and Emergency Spot Fix
2. SKINN Exfoliating Face Wash
3. Derma-e Purifying Daily Detox Scrub (full size)
4. Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black and Nirvana White Perfume
5. NUXE Multi-Purpose Dry Oil Sample
6. Bliss Long Glossed Love Serum Infused Lip Stain in "Ready for S'more" (full size)
7. Klorane Dry Shampoo
8. PurMinerals Lipstick Samples
9. OFRA Liquid Lipstick in "Venice" (full size)
10. Gallany Lip Gloss in "Giggle" (full size)
11. Essence I <3 Extreme Mascara (full size)
12. Eva-nyc Dry Shampoo
13. Belief Aqua Bomb Moisturizer
14. Cover FX Calming Primer
15. Laura Geller Baked Gelato Vivid Swirl Blush in "Papaya"
16. Jouer Pearl Lip Enhancer in "Nude Pearl"
17. treStique Mini Shadow Crayon in "Tibetan Ivory"
18. Juliette Has a Gun Perfume Sample in "Lady Vengeance"

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

Generation Beauty New York Series

This passed weekend I attended Ipsy's Generation Beauty event in New York. It was definitely an experience and I have so much I want to tell my readers about but I want to do it in the least overwhelming way possible. That being said, here's how I plan to organize my review:

1. I'm going to do a post listing all of the items and photos of each days goodie bag.

2. My second post will be a general overview of the event, my thoughts and opinions on it, and how I felt it compared to reviews and things I've seen about Gen Beauty LA.

3. The final post will essentially be a Generation Beauty Survival Guide. I feel like so many people review the weekend and talk about how much fun they had, but what I struggled with beforehand was that I couldn't find any information about what I should expect and how to plan accordingly. I'm going to compile a list of what I believe are essential things to know if you plan on attending in the future.

I'm going to be as honest and clear as I can possibly be in this series; please note that not everything I have to say is necessarily how every other attendee felt. I did make it a point to chat with other girls I met there who seemingly shared similar opinions to mine, so I want to do this for the sake of helping other people who may find themselves in a similar future situation.

How I Took My Hair From Auburn to Lavender: Part 2

Assuming you've read part 1 of my hair story, you already know that I was dealing with some HEAVY duty damage after the process. Over the last few months I've been working to do as much damage control as humanly possible and I can finally say that not only is my hair in significantly better condition, but it's starting to grow and get some length back.

Here are some of the products I've been using to help recover from my stupidity and I some of the ways I've been using them. Obviously what works for me may not work for everybody but I think a lot of what I've been using has really helped produce great results.

1. Batiste Dry Shampoo:
I will never, ever, ever buy another dry shampoo. I've tried other drugstore ones and I've tried expensive ones. Nothing makes my hair feel as clean and manageable as Batiste does. You can also find it even cheaper at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for around $5. Dry shampoo has been an absolute must for me since pastel color is hard to keep and my hair is so dry that I can only wash it 1-2 times a week.

2. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids Color Protect Shampoo:
I wasn't totally in love with this shampoo as I found I was still getting some color wash-out each time I used it, but I bought it because it's the same brand as the dye I use and doesn't have sulfates. Someone with a license needs to get this for you if you really want it but honestly any shampoo that's color protecting and without sulfates should be just fine.

3. Wella Elements Line:
I got the deep conditioner, the renewing conditioner, and the leave-in conditioner on sale at Ulta for a really good price so I was excited to try this stuff out. I wasn't majorly wowed by the mask or conditioner but it was useful having conditioning products that were extremely lightweight and safe for my color treated hair. I wish it was a little bit more moisturizing, but like I said I needed something light every so often to break up the heavy masks I was doing several times a week. I forgot to include the leave-in conditioner in the picture but I do love that stuff the most out of the line. It's really light and moisturizing and helped the condition of my hair immensely.

4. Brazilian Tech Keratin Leave-In Treatment:
I'll often combine this with the Wella spray or concentrate a lot of it more towards the ends of my hair where the most damage is. I don't know how authentic the keratin in this is but it gave added moisture to my desperate hair and for that reason I like it a lot and would recommend it as an affordable treatment.

5. Hairfinity:
It's hard for me to tell how large of an impact Hairfinity made, but when I began taking it I definitely noticed less and less hair falling out which was a huge accomplishment for me. As for it aiding in actual hair growth...I really don't know. I bought a one month supply and 2 weeks in would forget to take it certain days or would take it inconsistently. I can definitely tell you need to take it CONSISTENTLY for at least 2-3 months to see any real change.

6. Wen Conditioning Cleanser:
I'm sure many people are familiar with Chaz Dean's constant infomercials promoting Wen products, but I have to say this stuff is a god send. It is way too heavy to replace shampoo or use every single day and frankly, way too expensive to use that often, but every couple of days I would use this on the bottom half of my hair and it made it unbelievably soft, moisturized, and overall feeling and looking much better. If you're willing to shell out the money, this is probably the best deep conditioner you can invest in.


*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own

How I Took My Hair From Auburn to Lavender: Part 1

I haven't blogged in such a long time but I'm happy to finally sit down and get back to it! This was my second year going through this color transition and I have DEFINITELY learned some things the hard way. I want to warn others about some of what I experienced and how they can achieve pastel hair successfully!

Please keep in mind that I am NOT a licensed or trained professional! I wouldn't recommend doing this at home alone but if you're stubborn like me, I would strongly advise doing your research and learning from my mistakes!!! I'm going to be breaking this into two separate posts; this one which will be about how I processed my hair and the products I used, and the second one will be how I upkeep and maintain it.

THE #1 PIECE OF ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE ANYONE ATTEMPTING THIS: BE PATIENT AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY!!!

It is entirely unrealistic and frankly unhealthy to try and achieve this in one day. Even salons don't recommend it but if they agree to do it, you'll be sitting in the chair for well over 6 hours. Therefore, do not plan to do this the night before an event or a day where you need to see a ton of people. My biggest regret both times around was rushing the process and trying to complete it in day and a half. If you have a long weekend coming up, that would be your prime time.

Here are the products I used:

1. L'Oreal Quick Blue Powder Lightener
2. Olaplex
3. Salon Care 20 Volume and/or 30 Volume Creme Developer
4. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids in Violet, Silver, and Clear

*Note: Olaplex can only be purchased by licensed professionals. A 3-piece kit is $65 but is often sold for about $120 on Ebay and Amazon. I luckily had a friend who got it for me and I highly suggest using it for minimal damage; the technology and science of it is amazing and well worth the money. The same goes for Pravana- it's about $5 a tube BUT BE CAREFUL BUYING ONLINE! A lot of people counterfeit it online.

Here is what I did, what I should've done, and what I would recommend:

• I followed the package directions for mixing the bleach and the Olaplex. My biggest mistake was thinking Olaplex is a miracle worker. Just because it's designed to lift your hair faster with less damage doesn't mean the rule book goes out the window! I used a 30 volume developer which is the max you should go with bleach and left it on for nearly an hour, with a cap on, and without watching it closely. DO NOT DO THIS. Caps process hair faster and I was thinking I'd be doing it perfectly so that I'd only have to bleach my hair once and I'd have less damage. This is not how it works. LOW AND SLOW IS THE BEST THING YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO! Accept that it is a process and mistakes you make during it could ruin your hair for years. As a result, I wound up losing CHUNKS OF MY HAIR- see the picture below! My hair was snapping and falling out like crazy, the texture turned to what looked like shredded spaghetti noodles, and it was unbelievably fragile. I have never done anything so stupid with such detrimental results.

Here's what I should have done and what I would advise:

• Use a 20 volume creme developer. It may end up taking longer but it is 150% worth it. I still needed to bleach my hair again after the first process because it was a brassy-yellow and you need your hair close to platinum. So no matter what, know that it will take more than one time, and that's why you need more than a day. Also, if you have Olaplex, it's working to protect you, so if you have to bleach it 3 times, it still won't come close to being as harmful as what I did. I always lose my patience having to do multiple processes but as I've said, it is absolutely worth it in order to keep the integrity of your hair- THERE IS NO CUTTING CORNERS!

After I finished the bleach, I used about three tubes of Pravana Clear and mixed about 3 drops of Silver with 2 drops of Violet to get a customized shade of lavender. I would recommend this because Pravana's pastel purple has really bad reviews and I believe was either recalled or is being reformulated. Not to mention, if you begin with pastel color it's going to wash out so much faster.

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don't recommend diluting color with conditioner. Girls all over the internet are doing this and I think it basically sets you up for a loss. The color will apply much more unevenly and it will wash out so fast you'll be dying your hair once a week- no exaggeration. I'm so happy my friend recommended the clear because it dilutes the purple but with a base that is actually formulated like a professional dye. My hair color lasts for weeks and not to mention Pravana is the only dye I have ever used that actually makes my hair feel BETTER after using it. So if you don't have a license, start hunting someone down who does!

So to summarize my experience, be patient and set realistic expectations. Find someone with a license or save up and buy Olaplex. Do your research on it and follow all package directions. Use a lower volume developer and process your hair in shorter sessions while monitoring it closely. Get *real* Pravana color and don't mix hair color with conditioner. If you follow all of these steps I think you'll get really amazing results and won't have to go through the trauma that I did. Good luck!

*all pictures are my own and this post wasn't sponsored*

ColourPop Highlighters

Even though I ordered these the first day they were released, I've been trying to get more reviews up for products other than ColourPop...my obsession took over there for a bit. In my last few ColourPop reviews I'd had some trouble with feeling like some colors were appearing different in person vs. how they look online. This time around I really wanted to make sure I picked highlighters I would use since I can be so picky about them, so I took the time to really look at the swatches thoroughly, which luckily worked out in my favor!

I tend to lean towards pink-toned highlighters just because I like how they look on me better than gold ones, so I was thrilled to see that a majority of the collection is pink.

Smokin' Whistles
This one surprised me the most. It's the closest to a gold tone highlight of the ones that I ordered, but is technically a pinky champagne. I'm obsessed with how flattering this shade is on my skin!

Monster
Although I still like it, Monster is my least favorite of my bunch. It's described as a light-pink opalescent but I definitely feel like the opal brings in some cool gold tones. I may not be wearing this on my cheeks that much but it works great as an eyeshadow!

Hippo
Hippo is the most unique highlighter of the bunch and now of my entire collection! I'm obsessed with it's lavender tone that is somehow still beautiful and flattering. I'd highly recommend it even though a purple highlight might seem scary!

I love these highlighters just like I love all ColourPop products! The only thing I can think that may be both a pro and a con is that a little goes a long way so it would probably take a lifetime to finish one of these, therefore stalking up on a million colors may go a little bit to waste. I think they apply best with fingertips but sometimes I blend it out with my E.L.F. small stipple brush.

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

Drunk Elephant JuJu Bar

If the name alone wasn't cute enough, the brand information video made me fall in love with them before I even tried it. Everything is made with quality and really unique ingredients without all the chemicals other brands often use. When I was researching some of their products on Sephora's website, they all had really great reviews which made me feel like the price range of the products were completely justified. However, I've been using this bar for weeks now and I'm sad to say I'm disappointed :(

The way this product has been described made it seem like it was a groundbreaking revolutionary product that would finally save my skin. Unfortunately, this was not true. First off, it's incredibly harsh; the granules inside the bar are so fine it literally felt like sandpaper on my face. I'd strongly advise using a tool like a Clarisonic or sponge to lather it up instead of applying the bar directly to your skin.

This product also says it's supposed to clear acne and improve redness, hydration, and overall condition. I didn't have any of these results. It gave me a purge phase which caused my face to have several little breakouts that took over a week to clear. Since then, I don't believe it's caused anymore breakouts but it certainly hasn't helped them. I also haven't felt any added moisture; if anything, my face has felt dryer.

I know everyone's skin is different so you may experience different results than I did, but for me it just wasn't worth the hype or the money. I still want to love this brand so much so I'll be trying out some of their other products soon, but so far we're not off to a great start. If you're interested in trying Drunk Elephant, I'd really read as many reviews as possible and make sure you pick the right product for your investment.

*this post wasn't sponsored and all pictures are my own*

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratriplex 2-Step Repair Treatment

I made a post a little while back about my struggles as a redhead dealing with color maintenance problems- if you didn't see it, click here! Since then, I've continued my search for products to help my sad, damaged hair, and I've found some things here and there that are alright, but nothing that truly wowed me.

Luckily, I have an amazing friend named Margaret who is currently working at the Paul Mitchell school. I started picking her brain about what I can do to help prep my hair for the upcoming process of going lavender again, and as I started asking her about keratin treatments, she brought up something called Awapuhi. I had seen this before from Organix, but as I've learned, that stuff is far from the real deal. If you do a quick search online, Paul Mitchell is pretty much the only brand using real Awapuhi right now.

Paul Mitchell has an entire line of Awapuhi products out but only the treatment can be professionally done. Usually because this treatment is so rare it's crazy expensive, but because Paul Mitchell has a school where everything is significantly cheaper, the treatment was about $30. I usually never go to salons to get my hair done, especially since most salon keratin treatments run over $150, but this was an AWESOME experience- I couldn't believe it was only $30.

Here's how Paul Mitchell's website explains the 2-step treatment:

"KeraTriplex® Treatment transforms weak, broken and brittle strands into pillars of strength and protects from further damage. Step one of the KeraTriplex® 2-step Repair Treatment, the single-shot vial of isolated proteins is virtually identical to the keratin found in human hair. Keratin Intensive Treatment® is applied as step two to hydrate and add healthy, silky shine."

I couldn't agree more with that description! Not only did my hair feel amazing, but I knew I had serious results when I was washing my hair for the first time after getting the treatment and I had ABSOLUTELY NO COLOR WASH OUT OF MY HAIR! No joke, no matter how faded my hair gets, it always looks like a crime scene in my shower; this is the first time I was ever able to have water run completely clear after washing it. I'm completely thrilled with the results and how affordable it was! If you're able to find a Paul Mitchell or a Paul Mitchell school in your area, I couldn't advise more that you go get this done. You pretty much can't find the ingredients anywhere else and the results are more than worth the trip.

IF YOU LIVE IN VIRGINIA: I absolutely 10,000% recommend you make a trip to the Tyson's Corner Paul Mitchell School and ask for Margaret! Her skills are unreal; she's only 19 but could basically be teaching that school! You will not regret it, BOOK WITH HER! :)

*this post was not sponsored; product photos are from the Paul Mitchell site*

Current Foundation Routine

So for those of you that actually read this blog, you may have noticed I've never reviewed a face product before. The reason being that I have very difficult skin; it's oily and acne prone and changes almost every single day. As a result, my foundation routine kind of tends to change as my skin does and I test out new products all the time. However, I've been working hard to get my skin to calm down and stick to a few products for weeks at a time so I can get a true well-rounded opinion of them. Foundations can be really complicated; first opinions aren't always lasting opinions, and so many factors can change up how they wear and how long they wear. I've been using this routine for a couple of weeks and I'm happy to finally share my thoughts!

 

*Sigh.* Here's my skin without makeup. I'm extremely pale right now, I've had dark circle since I was in elementary school, and I've been fighting hyperpigmentation for years now. Luckily, I don't really have any active breakouts right now, and here's the routine that's been working well for me!

1. Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer: Light
First and foremost, Sunday Riley is an up and coming brand and EVERYTHING they make is expensive. The quality is definitely amazing but it sucks loving this brand. The primer is $48, and had I not received it as a gift I probably would have never tried it. Of course, now that I've been using it and I love it, I'm going to have to suffer the cost of repurchasing it again.
It comes in three shades: light, medium, and deep. What I love about it is I don't feel worried using it. All of the silicone primers out there always give me anxiety that they could be clogging my pores and breaking me out, but the ones that aren't silicone based never feel like they're working. This one is right in the middle; it feels like a serum but smooths and mattifies the skin like a silicone primer. I don't think the tint adds very much to my skin or really evens out the tone very much, but I definitely feel like it makes any foundation go on better and last longer.

2. Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: 102 Shell Beige
This foundation was hard to buy because it's pricey for the drugstore; it runs for about $12-$14 depending on where you get it. It's extremely hard to tell what your shade is based on the packaging, but I lucked out and Shell Beige happens to be a really good match for me. I also get really good coverage and can build it up in certain spots if I need to. It's a demi-matte finish, but for my skin, that doesn't last all day. It depends on the weather and what I'm doing for the day, but some days I 'm oily after 4 hours and some days it looks good all day. It's kind of a toss up that's been hard to track, so I usually keep powder with me to touch-up my t-zone. For the drugstore, it's one of the best coverages I've gotten in a foundation, I just wish it wasn't so expensive! One other note, I think it smells like straight up PAINT! I've seen a couple of reviews on it and I feel like no one ever mentions the smell but it seriously potent. I don't notice it after I've applied it, but from time to time it does bother me.

3. AliExpress Flat Top Kabuki Brush
AliExpress is such an awesome website. They have the cheapest prices I've seen on so many products and so far I haven't noticed anything I've ordered being crappy quality. I bought this brush set a few months back and it's been amazing. BH Cosmetics came out with an identical set but it's significantly more expensive. If you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get it in the mail, I'd definitely without question recommend this brush set. The flat top is my favorite way to apply the Loreal foundation because I find that my Beauty Blender just makes it a little too dewy and a little less coverage.

4. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: NC15
I'm probably one of the last people to jump on the hype of this concealer, but so far it's totally worth it. I think I grabbed a shade that's really light for me but I've been able to make it work. A little bit goes a VERY long way which is why I don't love the packaging-one full pump is almost wasteful. I get full coverage and brightness under my eyes and then I use the remainder on my lids because it covers redness, veins, and acts as an eyeshadow primer! I was really skeptical when I heard people used this as an eyeshadow base, but to my surprise I've yet to experience any creasing and I use it as a primer every single day.

5. Beauty Blender
I love the Beauty Blender. I don't know what else to say, I know everyone is skeptical about taking the plunge because it is a $20 sponge, but it'll change your life so just do it. It's amazing for so many things but I love it for undereye concealer especially because it prevents a lot of creasing and the product sinking into lines.

6. Bare Minerals READY Foundation
I usually hate BareMinerals but this powder foundation is pretty great. It some of the best coverage I've seen from a powder in a long time, so when I want a little more coverage (which almost always) I add this and it gives me a perfect finish. It's not an all-day mattifying powder, but it still looks great every time I touch up without ever looking cakey. The only thing I'd advise to check on is the color; mine looks extremely dark in the pan but it applies almost my exact skin-tone, so test it out on your face before you buy it.

*This post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

ColourPop Spring Collection

As tempting as it was, I resisted most of ColourPop's spring collection. They've been hooking me in with so many new things lately, I'm trying to be more conservative and only buy colors I know I'll get legitimate use out of. That being said, the spring collection is almost entirely brighter pastels and as beautiful as they are, my instincts tell me I won't be wearing bright yellow or baby blue on my eyes anytime soon. While every color wasn't for me, I did still get three eye-shadows, a Lippie Stix, and my first ColourPop lip pencil. I LOVE them all!!! Shocker, right?

Bites: This is one of the first white shadows I've had that is completely pigmented without being chalky! It's a matte finish so it's perfect as a base for any look- especially worn to brighten up other colors. It's also an amazing highlight since you can sheer it out and wear it boldly or softly. Bites will forever be a staple in my makeup collection!

Cowboy: Purple is one of my favorite colors and one of the only ones I feel look flattering on my eyes, so naturally, this pastel purchase was justified. Again, this is a matte finish with amazing pigmentation. It's a gorgeous powder-pastel lavender and puts so many high-end brands to complete shame- I don't know how ColourPop sells shadows for $5 but they're consistently as good if not better than most high-end brands, especially when it comes to difficult formulations like matte pastels!

Downtown: This is a cool-tone brown lovers DREAM! Cooler browns I feel are hard to find these days, especially since most of them are now found in contour palettes instead of eye-shadow palettes. This is one of the easiest to blend shadows (that doesn't lose a ton of pigment in the process,) that I think I've ever tried from ColourPop! If it isn't obvious, I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with their matte shadows- they've completely nailed the formula and I can't imagine buying mattes from anywhere else. They just need to release some more shades already!

Top to bottom: Westie, Bites, Cowboy, Downtown. Fern not featured.

Westie Lip Pencil: I'm no stranger to ColourPop Lippie Stix; the pencils, however, are a little foreign to me. I've neglected their pencils for no intentional reason, but when I saw Westie in the new collection I loved it and it seemed perfect to use alone, or as a liner with any number of other lipsticks. However, this is where one of my only problems with ColourPop returns; as I mentioned in my ColourPop Blush post, some of their pictures can be somewhat misleading. I've even struggled with my own photographs trying to convey exactly what the true colors look like, but I'm definitely starting to rack up a small collection of ColourPop products I probably wouldn't have purchased had I been able to swatch them beforehand.

Don't get me wrong, Westie is still a beautiful color! It's just not what I pictured. Online it's described as a "soft dusty baby pink," but I feel it's not as much a soft baby pink as it is a dusty rose. The pencil is just deeper than the pictures make it look, which just makes it less universal than I thought it would be. Not the end of the world, just a heads up to those of you considering it. Oh and side note- this is a plastic pencil aka your sharpeners nightmare. Why the hell do company's do this? I had a Maybelline brow pencil a year ago that literally broke all my blades when I tried to sharpen it. ColourPop's doesn't do nearly as much damage but I'm still blown they did it this way.

Fern Lippie Stix: Here's another misleading color-bummer, although I think this one is 60% my fault. At first I thought this color was a tad bit warmer with more magenta in it. When I look at it online now, I don't see it as much that way anymore- especially not in the swatch photos. While I do still feel like Fern looks slightly different in the product photo vs. the swatch photo, it says blatantly in the description (which I overlooked) that it's a cool-toned violet. Basically the lesson here people is read the product description and look at all the photos before purchasing- they may still vary but at least you'll lessen the chances of being disappointed! Because Fern wound up being almost too pigmented (yes, this can exist sometimes!) and straight up Barney purple, I find I can make it work when I tap it on and apply it SUPER sparingly. This method actually gives me more of that magenta tone I was initially hoping for and it leaves a stain behind as well!

Just for added perspective, I've compared Fern to Grind, a Lippie Stix featured in my first ColourPop haul. They're very close in shade but it's like Fern is just turned down in tone by comparison, and Grind is its fluorescent sister. I also included a better swatch of Westie.

Left to right: Grind, Fern, Westie.

*this post was not sponsored and all photos are my own*

New ColourPop Super Shock Cheek Blushes!

If you follow me on Instagram (@blushedandblended), it's no secret that I have a love affair with ColourPop. When I found out they were releasing blushes, I became a full-time stalker of their website. I not only monitored the exact time they planned on releasing them, but I set an alarm to wake up and be one of the first people to order them. Again, if you follow me on Instagram, you may also be aware that to my dismay, this was no simple task. The website crashed repeatedly and it took more than 6 hours to get my order placed. Despite my frustration, I've cooled off and ColourPop still and always will have my love (and my money). This post is long overdue so let's get on with it!

PROS:
True to ColourPop's reputation, these are so affordable! Yes, they are $3 more than the eyeshadows, boo hoo hoo, but $8 is still less than drugstore prices these days so I'll take what I can get. They're also amazingly pigmented so a little goes a long way; therefore the overall value and price-point couldn't be better. They also released a literal sh*tton of colors- 20 total and with an amazing range of tone, color, and finish. Prenup unfortunately photographed almost greyish and super glittery for some reason but I promise this color was the most true to description/picture on the website; I use this color the most because it's a little more neutral and muted for everyday wear. Thumper is just one step up from that and is an awesome classic and girly pink. Mochi is going to be perfect for spring and summer; it's bright and flattering and I can't wait to start using it more!

CONS:
It's hard to tell exactly what causes this, but I think because I have an oilier skin type these seem to wear off through the day. I usually get about 4-5 hours where the blush still looks nice, but beyond that they always seem to fade almost completely off by the end of the day. Luckily, I haven't necessarily noticed any oxidizing of the color itself as they wear. The only other con is that the pictures don't seem true to color on the website. Thumper looks like a soft-peachy pink on the site, but in actuality it's not like that at all; it's more of a muted soft Barbie pink. Mochi also looks different than the site but it's hard for me to explain exactly how. The best way I can think to put it is that I think it looks like it has a little bit more coral in it and is overall more fluorescent than the "blue-based bright pink" description/picutre.

IS IT WORTH IT?:
YAS! Hello, these are $8. Everything ColourPop makes is worth it. I should seriously be working for them I promote them all the time so positively- which btw if any ColourPop reps read this I'm a PR major lookin fo a job hollaaaaaa. Lol but seriously, these are beautiful. The color range is on point and although I usually avoid cream blushes for my skin type, these set to a demi-matte finish and don't cause me to look shinier. I find that these apply the best with my elf small stipple brush and they blend out amazingly well without leaving patches or uneven color on my face! Love, love, love these and I can't wait to get more!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser

This cleanser and I had a very complicated relationship; if there's anything I've learned from using it, it's that you can't expect what you're probably expecting. By that I mean that everything you'd think is going to happen with this cleanser (from typical common sense) may not be the case. Let me break down what I mean:

Point #1: This cleanser is the sister product to the GlamGlow Clearing Mud Treatment-a popular mask that's notorious for removing blackheads and reducing breakouts instantly. One of my first thoughts was that this cleanser would be just as amazing, but as it's for everyday use maybe the results would be long-term. This wasn't true by any means and it definitely won't replace the mud mask. It kept breakouts relatively at bay but I didn't notice my blackheads diminishing much, even with continued use.

Point #2: It's a mud-to-foam cleanser...so naturally you'd assume it's a mud-to-foam cleanser...
I'm a little disappointed about how difficult it is to make this product work. They suggest applying it to your dry face and then wetting your hands to work up the foam cleanser. This method barely lathers the cleanser at all; I'd suggest dotting your face with the cleanser and then adding water to the residue left on your hands to create a really thick foam, and from there work it into the product dotted on your face. It's also extremely hard to use a Clarisonic with this. Unless you can get that thick foam formed with the directions I gave, a Clarisonic will just wipe the product right off. If you do want to use your Clarisonic, just make sure not to apply it directly to the brush head; work the foam up first.

Point #3: A pump may dispenser may seem logical, but this is the WORST PACKAGING EVER!!! The pump from day ONE was terrible at dispensing product and it just continued to go downhill from there. It was a constant hassle trying to get product out of the bottle; I ended up having to unscrew the cap and pound it into my hand, which in the long run was probably extremely wasteful.

So, is this product worth it? You'd probably think not based on the points I've just made, but I wouldn't go that far This cleanser was good once I got passed the packaging and foaming flaws. I wouldn't say it's holy grail status, as I have extremely difficult acne-prone skin and it wasn't a miracle worker. However; I liked that I could use this every day without experiencing any dryness. It also has licorice root in it which is a common ingredient used for lightening hyper-pigmentation; I really appreciated them including it, but be warned-it does cause a light licorice scent. Speaking of which, another big disclaimer- THIS CLEANSER WILL TURN YOUR ENTIRE BATHROOM GREY! My sink, counter top, Clarisonic, mirror, and wall are all grey from the charcoal color of the cleanser. Unless you wipe your mess up immediately after every use, it makes your bathroom looking pretty dingey :/

Overall, I noticed the cleanser's effects on the days I stopped using it; more dirt appeared in my pores and my texture seemed to get a little bumpier. I haven't decided if I'd buy this again- it took a really long time to decide how I felt about it...literally from first use to end of the bottle. It's probably best for being with dealing with light/medium-occasional breakouts; I can't imagine this would work well for serious acne. I say if you can expense it, it may be worth at least one shot, just take precautions, give it some time to work, and learn from my mistakes!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

MAC Cinderella Collection

 

It's been years since I've been hooked in by MAC's uncanny ability to get my money simply by putting their products in cute packaging, but alas, they've gotten me again. When I first started getting into makeup, I thought MAC was the OG makeup brand and the best place to start; they do make great products but they are widely known for getting suckers like myself with their limited edition collections. Of course, these products are usually sold out almost as soon as they go one sale but I really did my research this time around to make sure that I'd only buy items that I'd legitimately use, so I only got two. The packaging is designed with the classic Cinderella blue, a pink pearlized duo-chrome, and gold lettering and borders.

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT EYE SHADOW PALETTE:

I've been on a pretty strict palette diet lately, meaning I have a bookshelf overflowing with palettes (and no books) that is a huge result of "limited edition" and "pretty packaging" marketing, and because I own far more than I'll ever need, I've been really good about no longer buying eyeshadow palettes...until now.

I NEEDED this palette...seriously, I did (lol). I love this palette because it's all standard MAC eye shadows that I've heard people rave over (most often by my idol, Kandee Johnson) for years, except for "Stroke of Midnight". As a result of my "diet" I resisted buying these in the past, but of course now that they're all conveniently in one little (beautifully packaged) palette, I coudn't NOT buy it! Let me tell you, I'm so happy I did because the colors are BEAUTIFUL. There's not only a variety of mattes and shimmers, but they included perfect blending colors and for some people, eyebrow colors! Literally the ideal palette for travel because of the compact size and the variety giving you the option for day and night looks. The palette features:

• Vapour (Velvet finish, peachy pink with flecks of mirco-glitter)
• Phloof (Frost finish, off-white shimmer-almost a super pale champagne)
• Omega (Matte finish, muted beige-taupe)
• Quarry (Matte finish, soft muted plum-brown)
• Satin Taupe (Frost finish, taupe with silver shimmer)
• Stroke of Midnight (Velvet finish, black-plum with sparkle pearl)

In my experience, MAC shadows last a decently long time and the individual shadows are $11 or $14 so I'm completely okay with the $44 price tag, as I feel it's right for the value. If you can get your hands on it, this would be my #1 recommendation, not only for this collection, but for all of MAC Cosmetics.

CINDERELLA LIPSTICK IN "ROYAL BALL"

I have to admit, I've NEVER purchased or owned a MAC lipstick. I know, I'm covered in shame. I've tried the lipglasses in the past- I'm embarrassed to say I still have a little bit of my Viva Glam Gaga from when it originally launched, and I wasn't really a fan of the formula so I didn't pursue trying more lip products.

Two lipsticks came out in this collection and one looked perfect to me; Royal Ball was described as a "fleshy pink" with a lustre finish. I typically aim for nude lips if I wear anything at all, but so far I'm not thrilled about this lipstick, especially not like I was about the palette. It's not bad, but I've used better ones, and it was $17.50 which kind of pushes it for me (they're usually about $16). It doesn't have a crazy amount of pigmentation or long-wearing power to be worth that much money for me. It also is really close to bordering on a frost finish, which is a huge NO in my book. Frosted lipsticks scream 90's in the worst way and that's exactly where they should stay. Overall, it's pretty and I like it, I just don't love it.

The Cinderella collection hits stores on March 5 and almost everything is sold out online. If you have the time and money, GO GET THE EYESHADOW PALETTE!

*this post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

Too Faced Melted Lipsticks- New Shades!

I tried these lipsticks over a year ago when they first came out and I wasn't wowed by them; I still don't understand the hype! They're incredibly pigmented and smooth but my list of cons greatly outweigh the pros, making this an easy $21 to keep in my pocket. However, they did just expand the collection by adding in eight new colors which I was excited about because of how pastel and unflattering the original shades were.The new shades are as follows:

• Melted Sugar (nude)
• Melted Chihuahua (nude-mauve)
• Melted Frosting (powder pink)
• Melted Melon (pinky coral)
• Melted Jelly Donut (magenta-pink)
• Melted Strawberry (red-orange)
• Melted Velvet (vampy-red)
• Melted Villain (black-purple)

PROS:
Pigmentation; there's no lie that these are unbelievably opaque and have great color payoff. With the release of the eight new shades there's an excellent variety of colors to choose from. At $21 a tube they run about average for lipsticks found in Sephora, but with the little amount you need these can definitely last you for years and make it worth the value.

CONS:
Gloop glop glop. These formulas are kind of ridiculous to work with. They are so gloppy that it's almost impossible to get a perfect application (if you couldn't tell by my lip swatches lol). The squeeze tube and felt-tip applicator may get the product on your lips but it's impossible to get an even and full application. I had to use a lip brush to reach my lip line without getting it all over my face and even though I didn't use a lip-liner, I'd highly suggest one.

I'm also still having some of my original issues with the colors; they lean on the pastel side and because they're so full color, I feel like I'm walking around with straight up paint on my lips and it doesn't look good. The best example is definitely shown with the Melted Frosting lip swatch photo. The formula also is that it sticks to dry patches or cracks in your lips. I'd definitely exfoliate beforehand.

I did get a decent amount of wear-time out of these but it takes effort. What I mean by that is I was always aware of the product on my lips. It spreads and transfers so easily, I couldn't help but be careful of touching my face and watching what I eat or drink. Even with my caution, it stuck to my teeth on several occasions as well.

IS IT WORTH IT?:
For me, I'd say overall no. I did however really like Melted Sugar, Melted Jelly Donut, Melted Velvet. Even though only two colors appealed to me, I loved that the colors looked nice without having to tone them with other products. I will say though there are so many better options for the same price or less, so unless you find specific shades you can't live without, I 'd pass.

*This post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*