December 2021 Ipsy Glam Bag

I’d like to start with how annoying it is that my bag always comes in at the middle of the month. I don’t know why that irks me so much. Ok, rant over 🙂

This month ipsy theme is Time to Shine

I have the base glam bag subscription and here is what I received

This month I selected Tarte surfer girl volumizing mascara. I like getting to try new mascaras and minis are easy to use up

The other items are

I got the comb as an add on because I needed one, but I didn’t want to make time to go buy one so I’m happy I got this in my bag.

• Real Her mini lisptick in Girl Power
• Ahava Sea kissed mineral hand cream
• Glowiest Youthful Glow and Peachy Glow face mask duo
• Refreshments Tangles be Tamed con in lavender fizz
• Benefit Porefessional hydrate primer

The Ahava cream is nice to throw in a bag or leave in the car, especially now that it’s gotten cold and my hands get dry often.

The face masks are eh. I haven’t been using have masks recently but I enjoy them overall and should probably get back into the habit of using them.

The hydrating primer is also just eh. I’ll probably mix it with a mattifying or pore blurring primer. I’ll get use out of it but it isn’t my preferred primer type.

The Real Her lipstick. Hmmm. I’m torn about this brand as a whole. The intent is nice – positive affirmations, enhancing natural beauty and community give back. The issue I have is that I’ve never really liked a product enough to keep it, use it or recommend it. I do like the color, it’s a nice mauve, but the formula is too much like a balm for me. I also like that this is a mini, using up an entire product might motivate me to keep it.

Overall this month’s bag was OK. I’m happy I got a comb for $3 and without having to leave my house, and it’s nice to have a new mascara and hand cream. Plus, I do like the makeup bag. I’ll get use out of two of the other three products, maybe even the third one so I’m overall satisfied with this month’s bag.

Do you have this subscription? What did you get and what did you like?

CP At Forest Site and Morphe Jaclyn Hill Vol II look

Today I really wanted to use the Raw Beauty Kristi Colourpop collab but I also really wanted to use the second Morphe Jaclyn Hill collab. Fortunately, the two compliment each other!

I pulled crease colors from the Jaclyn Hill palette and the lower lash line color.f

From the Colourpop palette, I pulled darker colors to add depth to the look and the lid colors.

I wanted to blend Evergreen into West Coast to the out end but West Coast was too yellow gold for what I wanted to i layered Evergreen on top instead.

Pictures taken using back facing camera on Samsung Note 10

Other products used:

• WetNWild Photofocus foundation dewy in Golden Beige. I usually go for matte but this has the perfect satin finish, not dewy at all!
• Maybelline age rewind in 120 light. I used to really like this but lately it’s been feeling dry on my skin
• Marc Jacobs Finish Line powder
• Doll 10 Popstar Peach. I usually use this under powder but I forgot and figured I’d try it over. I didn’t notice any affect on my foundation but it made for a much brighter blush when I layered a powder over it. This was a Jen Phelps, on YouTube, recommendation and it’s hands down one of the best formulas. In not sure how I feel about the scent though. It’s a nice, yummy vanilla but it feels weird applying it to my face. I haven’t noticed it affecting my skin though
• WetNWild Mellow Wine blush over to set (can skip two blushes but I don’t)
• Smashbox Cali Contour palette for bronzer/contour and highlight. I like but don’t love. I want to love this palette so I keep it around
• Urban Decay Horchata lipstick – the vice lipsticks were reformulated and the new ones are some of the most hydrating matte lipsticks I’ve tried
• WetNWild Brow Sessive in Medium Brown. This is $1.99 on Target’s website and Amazon. I’ve really been loving this pencil, it’s soft and blends is perfect for my needs – which is just to fill in and brush out
• Essence lash princess mascara – the purple one

Hope everyone has a happy Thursday

The Nightmare Before Christmas palette remix

When I found out Colourpop was coming out with a Nightmare Before Christmas palette I was stoked to see what they would put out. Not that it mattered because I was going to buy it anyway, haha.

From the Colourpop website

I forgot to take a picture before remixing my palette but the bottom quad is less cohesive in real life and the entire left half required too much effort for me.

I ended up only replacing five colors of the original palette but I feel like this is more usable.

Frog’s Breath is such a pretty color, I applied it over glitter glue. I love the contrast between that and No Drama

How do you feel about “remixing” your palettes?

Niacinamide Serums: Glow Recipe, Juvia’s Skin and Good Molecules

Something I still struggle with is uneven skintone and texture. My cheeks get red spots that sometimes comes through my makeup and it’s something that still makes me feel self conscious.

Any serum that’s meant to focus on reducing redness or hyperpigmentation immediately has my attention.

Today I’m talking about three products, which are all on sale for 2021 Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, Juvia’s Skin The Niacinamide Serum* and Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum

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  From Beautylish.com

The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops can be used to hydrate visibly reduce hyperpigmentation and correct the look of dullness. The description also says it provides a “reflective glow” but that’s not something I’ve noticed. I can’t say I’ve used it long enough to notice a difference in my skin but, it is nice and hydrating and feels gentle on the skin.

The Juvia’s Skin The Niacinamide Serum is new, the skincare line in general is new, and it comes in a very similar looking bottle as the Glow Recipe product. It also clames to reduce hyperpigmentation and brighten the skin. With this one, I feel like my skin needs added moisturize.

The difference in the hydration made me take a look at the ingredients. I’m not an any kind of chemist or even someone who often checks ingredients so everything I say here should be taken with a grain a salt (what does that actually mean btw?).

The biggest difference I noticed is that the Glow Recipe product contains 10% Niacinamide and the Juvia’s Skin product contains 20%. Niacinamide is also the second product listed on the ingredient list on the Juvia’s Skin product while it’s listed as the fifth. I vaguely remember hearing that the higher up on the list an ingredient is listed, the higher amount of that chemical is used in the formulation.

There were a few other common ingredients, and some that were not found in one or the other. This got me to wondering which product would be considered the better deal.

I was focused on the Niacinamide. I did some Google-ing and found that you only need 2-5% Niacinamide to make a difference in your skin health. I also noticed that Juvia’s Skin provides 1oz of product for $20US (regular price) and Glow Recipe has 1.35oz for $34US. That actually makes the Glow Recipe product cheaper.

In my Google research, I also found that Good Molecules (found on Beautylish, Ulta, and other places) also has a Niacinamide Serum at $6 for 1oz. This is the only product I haven’t tried but I wanted to include it because of its price and because Good Molecules is a brand I enjoy and feel comfortable recommending.

In the end, I don’t know if a higher amount of Niacinamide makes a difference but, I can say the Juvia’s Skin product was noticeably less hydrating than the Glow Recipe product. Between the three, the Good Molecules product shares more ingredients with Glow Recipe product which leads me to believe it would be more hydrating than the Juvia’s Skin product.

Have you used any of these products? I’m especially interested in hearing how the Good Molecules product is.

Thank you for reading and I hope this was helpful or entertaining in some way.

*Juvia’s Skin The Niacinamide Serum was sent complimentary for review through BzzAgent with no obligation to post.

Colourpop Sandstone look

Sandstone is one of my favorite palettes despite having so many of the matte with tiny glitter shades.

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Images from Colourpop’w website Buy here

I think the mattes with the glitter apply nicely and blend easily. If you tap your brush you can tap off most of the loose glitter. You can also apply the color with a brush then tap it on with your finger to apply/keep the glitter on. I wound also recommend using a glitter or loose pigment primer.

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I love the metallics/shimmers in this palette and love this color story in general. Here is a step by step on this look.

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The palette is currently on sale for $11 as part of Colourpop’s “last call” sale so if you’re interested, now’s the best time to buy!

Purple shimmer look

Recently I’ve gotten more into single shadows and depotting my palettes.

I love being able to see so many options to chose from.

Sydney Grace, Coloured Raine, Makeup Geek and Colourpop

Buying singles also gives me the opportunity to try more brands, especially indie brands that only sell single shadows.

This is also a great way to utilize more than one palette and brand.

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Instagram Reel

For than look I used the following shadows:

• Colourpop – Zested, West Side
• Makeup Geek – Cocoa Bear, Steampunk
• Sydney Grace – Golden Wheat, Aim High

To bring out a little more of the lilac I used Colourpop Piggy Bank gel liner.

I’d love to know what others think of using singles!

NYX Ultimate Utopia Vol II

In my previous post I mentioned a friend selected colors for my to use from the NYX Utopia palette and here is a second look from another suggestion

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• I used 1 to set my base, from my crease to my brow.
• Applied 2 to the crease to deepen it
• I applied 3 to the outer 1/3 of my lid
• Applied NYX glitter primer to the rest of my lid and using my finger, applied 4
• Used 5 in the center, over 4, to tone down the teal a little
• Applied 6 all across the lower lash
• Used 7 to darker the lower lash outer edge

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I loved the way this look came out. I’ve really been enjoying using color stories suggested by others.

PS I tried the tiktok lip liner trick and…it’s not my thing. Lol!

NYX Ultimate Utopia

As soon as I saw this color story I was on love! Too bad regular price the palette is $35. I’m not sure why but to me that seems like too much to pay for a NYX palette despite the amount of shades offered

Ulta stock photo
Purchase here

I ended up having to wait a few months for the palette to go on sale and when it finally did I paid about $25 for it, in case you’re like me and don’t want to pay the full price.

I do love the color story, and the products are easy to blend, durable and the metallics are gorgeous.

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Here I went with something fast and simple but was about to make it exciting by using the lime green yellow

I started with 1 in my crease, softly blending it out and very lightly building it up until I achieved the color I wanted

I darker the outer V of my lid with 2 and lightly swept it into the crease

Then I applied NYX glitter primer in the remaining 2/3 of my lids and applied 3 to the center portion and 4 to the inner 1/3. I blended between the two to avoid a hard line.

I used a little bit of 5 to blend 3 into 2.

For my lower lash I used 6 so over the lower lash and 7 tight against my lash line.

I asked friends to select colors for me to use and this incorporated two options.

What do you think of this palette?

Are there any looks you’d like to see? Feel free to DM me on Instagram a screen shot selecting colors if it’s a palette without color names!

Colourpop Misunderstood Palette Look Vol III

This isn’t a palette that I look at and immediately have a look pop out at me but I’m always able to put together a look that I love.

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This was a very simple look but the shimmers are so pretty and really pop.

I lightly packed Devious in the crease and blended up to the brow. I applied Sing to the outer V of my eyelid, Underworld to the center and Pain and Panic to the inner 1/3.

I used my fingers to apply the shimmers and then I took small brushes to softly blend the shimmers together.

I took a small fluffy brush and brushed back and forth in the crease, with no additional product, to blend the shimmers.

I went back and packed on a little more Devious to the outer V to bring back some depth.

What are your thoughts on this palette? What kind of look would you do or would you like to see next?

Makeup Revolution Forever Flawless Enchanted look

I keep watching YouTubers talk about how they change up their makeup based on the seasons. I’m over here barely able to match colors and patterns.

So, I do what I want (haha I do what I *can*).

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In order and placement:

• Elm in crease and to set base (concealer or shadow primer)
• Grim to darken crease
• Vine in outer 1/3 of lid
• Illusion in the center blended into vine
• Hazel in inner 1/3 blended into Illusion
• Realized the look was darker than I intended so I softly patted Frost all over lid
• Charm tight lined along lower lashes
• Elm to soften charm

I love the Forever Flawless palettes. The shadows are so easy to blend, apply, build up and last all day.

For my lipstick I used Colourpop Curve II all over

Do you change your look based on the seasons or time of the year?