Last day of the month in case you didn’t know.

I am nothing if not helpful. And best blogger in all the land.

Here’s my Lip Factory:

Woah, that’s a lot of stuff! And I’m happy with EVERYTHING. This is like having the best day ever combined with winning the Power Ball combined with living inside a Sephora. I don’t even have to explain that further cuz I know y’all is going Gurrrrrl, I know.

First up are these two lip glosses from Beauty Addicts. Got a pink one and a gold one. If I had to pick my least favorite thing in the box, it would be these, simply cuz they’re just your basic lip gloss. Not bad products by any means though. The applicator is a brush which I feel amps up the fancy a notch. Also they are not sticky. My granddaughter has confiscated the gold one because for some reason at the tender age of 3 she has already cultivated a love for makeup. I have no idea how this has happened. Nope, no idea at all.

But I suppose I love these lip glosses more than I love this Ofra lip liner. Although, I did at least get a good color (baby doll pink) instead of the nude/spice/cinnamon shades I’ve been getting recently. The liner went rather well with a couple of lip products I already own, so it won’t go to waste at least. It’s not super showy uppy (shhhh, it’s a word) on my lips though. That’s the only negative thing I have to say about this lip liner. And everything else I have to say is super boring.

Next up is this really awesome lip paint by J. Cat Beauty. The application of this is very similar to the OCC Lip Tar because you need barely a pin drop. I swear, I will own this tube for the rest of my life. And because the retail price is only $4.99, that makes it practically free. I got a really pretty pink color that’s very wearable (i.e., not neon) called Blabberwocky. I’m not sure what a Blabberwocky is, but it’s obviously this color. And this color is fab.

Then there was this lip balm. I am always sort of like okeydokey about lip balm cuz usually it’s pretty boring. But once I tried the Eco Lips Eco Tints, I was like hello, honey. I feel an addiction coming on. If you like a slight peppermint tingle, soft texture, and a pretty luminous tint (mine is Rose Quartz), then you need to put this in your shopping cart. Plus it’s only $4.50 and that’s guilt free shopping, which is always allowed. Granted you probably have to order 15 of them to qualify for free shipping, but that’s beside the point.

Received a pretty summery teal green eyeshadow from Pari Beauty. This is a fairly pigmented shadow and it looks pretty good against my brown eyes. It seems matte to me, but online it says it’s a frost. I’m not sure if that’s a typo or rather I’ve not known what a true frost eyeshadow is my entire life, but the shade Eco-Friendly (#70) has almost no shimmer in it whatsoever. If that’s the definition of frost, so be it. What I do know is that it’s a nice eyeshadow. That’s not up for discussion.

Last two items are from Palladio. First one is the Brow Fix wax pencil. I like the idea of this pencil, although I may need a little training class. I tried though, I tried real hard. See, I ran this pencil through my brows, and I could feel that product was transferred. Okay, so far so good. Then I did a little spoolie brush to shape my brows to perfection. Seems alright. I went about my day thinking I had the most gloriously coifed brows in all the land – until I caught a glimpse in the mirror where my left arch was hanging straight down onto my eye skin. I’m sorry, this was not in your description. Delete delete delete.

Needless to say I’m gonna have to play around with my technique. At this point, nothing keeps my eyebrow hairs under control quite like my Anastasia Brow Gel. But I do love options, so it’d be nice if I can figure this thing out.

Last Palladio item is their Shadow & Liner Crayon in the shade Champagne. The description says it’s a soft gel formula that eliminates the need to tug or pull at the eye. Well, again, unless that’s not completely true, then I need a training class because this did not effortlessly glide across my eyeball. However, the shimmery shade was very pretty and provided a nice base for another shadow I layered on top. And if I heated this up in the microwave first it would probably apply just like butter.

Kids, please do not heat up your eyeshadow crayons in the microwave.

All in all, this box was awesome. Got lots of goodies which all will be used and appreciated. Looking forward to the next box. But then again, I’m in a constant state of that. That is why I subscribe to 11 boxes. We’ve been over this.

Toodles!

I just realized there are only 3 days left in this month, but I got 4 reviews left to do. Where has the time gone? I thought I was doing so good. I guess it’s time to stop smug-smiling and get down to business.

Lip Factory came. I got these things:

It’s a pretty good box this month. I will use almost everything in here. That’s pretty rare. So I’ll save my booboo for the end. If you’ve been reading my blog, I’m pretty sure you know which one I do not love. If you haven’t been reading my blog, what have you been doing with your life? You got about 90 posts to catch up on. Get busy.

First thing I got was a ModelCo eyeliner in black. I’ve been using this all week and really enjoying it. It’s very black and goes on easy. No tugging or skipping, which makes me var var happy. Other than that, what else can I tell you about a black eyeliner? Not much. Moving on.

Another ModelCo product in the box – this time, a lipgloss. I got a rose color, and it’s kind of pretty. The formula did not feel sticky or anything. But is it the lipgloss of life? No. Even though it has a mirror right there on the tube. They tried at least. I suppose if you are ever in a conundrum whether to purchase a lipgloss or a mirror compact, this product right here will put an end to all that. Otherwise, you could probably never own this and still basically be able to continue with life.

Then I got a lip liner from 29 Cosmetics. I’m not a huge lip liner person. It’s very hard for me to draw a straight line, even though my lips are there for guidance. So instead of creating unnecessary anxiety for myself, I just skip the thing altogether. However, for those who do enjoy a good lip liner this one works pretty decent. It also has grape seed extract in it to protect your lips from environmental pollutants. Does that matter to you? If so, you’re welcome and I’m getting back in pajamas now.

Favorite thing in the box is the green eyeshadow from Girlactik. It’s a beautiful green with a flattering pearly finish. I would own more of these if each shadow didn’t cost $19. I mean I like them and all, but not $19 worth of love. I’ll just take this green one and manage … somehow. Plus, with as many palettes I currently have stashed under my bathroom sink, I will own this little single for at least 15 years.

Another goodie is the lip serum from Befine. This serum claims to firm and plump, smooth and soften. It has peptides in it for you rocket scientists who know what that means. The consistency is like an oil, but it doesn’t feel oily. It’s slick and shiny. I’ve been putting it on in the morning at the start of my routine, but I’m thinking I’ll carry this around with me all day. It feels nice on the lips, and who doesn’t love that? (Crazy people.)

Now for the booboo. The Palladio nail sunscreen. I’m not against the idea of this product. It really is just a clear top coat that has UV protection in it. But did I want this? No. It’s still nail polish, and nail polish bores me. However, since I don’t actually own a top coat I will keep it.

Apparently the sun will fade out your nail polish color. I’m not sure how long you gotta be out in the sun in order for fading to take place, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never have this problem. I don’t go outside on purpose. I mean, yes I go outside but those are all “have-to” situations, i.e., work, runs to Sephora, Starbucks. You know, the necessities in life. But I will never voluntarily go camping, or to a public swimming pool. Probably not even a family reunion if they’re doing it outside. Serious, if you see me doing those things, you should assume I’ve been kidnapped and call police immediately.

What I’m trying to say is I don’t need nail sunscreen.

Okay, done for the day. It’s lunchtime and I need food. And then Sephora emailed me a VIB Rouge exclusive offer, so I need to do some shopping as well. Var var busy day ahead of me, as you can see.

Bye!

The fun never ends people.  Another beauty box review starting now.  Just what you always wanted.  (It is.  Trust me.)

Lip Factory is usually a pretty good box.  Sometimes there’s a poo or two, but generally I like everything I get.  However, this May box is the best I’ve ever received.  Take a look:

Say whaaaaaa?!?!  I know.  I love it all.  Let’s begin.

I own a gorgeous lipgloss from Medusa’s Makeup, and now I own a pretty eyeshadow.  It’s a very good day.  They sent me a pretty pinkish/red color and at first you may be like, pinkish/red?, but seriously it’s like a lovely pop of color for your outer 1/3 and lower lashline.  Well, this is where I put it at least.  You can do whatever.  It’s not super flashy, so it’s definitely wearable.  I mean, I wore this to work along with a matte lime green on my inner 2/3 and I looked like a spring bouquet come to life.  I’m not gonna lie:  I was purty.  You can see the look on Instagram if you’d like.  (You’d like).

Next great thing is this lovely coral boxed blush from Me Me Me.  It kind of reminds me of the Coralista one by Benefit, but I swatched them both and the Coralista is lighter.  I haven’t officially worn the Me Me Me, but I plan to this weekend.  It’s so beautiful in the box, you almost hate to use it.  Almost.  I haven’t quite reached that status yet, buying makeup for display purposes only.  I’m not saying it’s out of the question or anything.  I just need to increase my annual wages by about triple and then I’m all set.  So, in about 80 years or so. Maybe.

I love the makeup offerings by Teeeze.  Lip Factory is the only box that has ever sent me anything by this company, but I now officially own 5 items and they are all fantastic.  This time I got sent the Golden Glow lipgloss in the shade Roaming Mauve.  It is glorious!  Sheer, but you can still see the color, and the golden sparkle is very apparent and so shiny and lovely.  I can’t even explain properly how pretty this lipgloss is (as evident by the blabbering sentence right before this one).  You’re just going to have to trust me when I say if you come across this lipgloss, do not even think about it.  Buy it.  Immediately and like stat.

I got a lipstick by Pari Beauty, which is a company I’ve never heard of.  The color they sent me was like a coral but with a rose gold mixed in.  I’m trying to figure it out on the website swatches, but none of them look right.  It’s kind of a unique color – I don’t own anything like it at least.  I put it on with black pants, and it didn’t go well, so it’s definitely more for brown pants.  I hope you understand what I mean by that.  All my color coordinating is based off my pants.  Is that weird?  Probably.

Last item in the box is a set of nail wraps by NCLA.  I’ve gotten these before and I really like them.  They are so easy to apply and requires zero drying time because they are stickers.  Whoever invented these things are genius.  I don’t know about you, but I find it incredibly hard to sit still after painting my nails.  In fact, I did my toes the other day and behaved quite well for what I considered a very long time, but probably it was only about 5 minutes.  Slid my toes under my blanket, and that was the end of that scenario.  In my defense, it was cold.  Pulled my foot and out and reviewed the damage.  It was sort of imprinted with blanket pelt.  But you know what?  My toes are so far down there, anyone who notices is obviously in a very inappropriate position and should be ashamed of theirselves.  Case closed.  Toe = not fixed, but who’s looking?  NOBODY.  That’s who.

Til tomorrow lovies!

No better way to celebrate May 1st by reviewing a box I got in April. Yes, I’m behind. No hate, just love. Thanks.

Here’s my Lip Factory box:

I’m about 1/2 and 1/2 about this box. Maybe 3/4 and 1/4, because I do not like most of the items. I feel rude when I say that, but I’m not in charge of what goes in the boxes. Unfortunately.

First thing is a good one. I own several of these NYX butter lip glosses. Thankfully they sent me a color I didn’t already have and it’s also not atrocious (like orange orange or clear). So I’m happy about receiving this.

I am not head over heels for the Ofra lipstick. I do not hate, it’s more of a ho hum pigs bum situation. They sent me the color #107 which is a bright raspberry pink. And I have so many lipsticks in this shade that adding another one was a major could-care-less event. In fact, I need to sigh again right now because I bored myself just typing all this out. Next.

Be A Bombshell sent me a purple eyeshadow crayon. For my old crepey eyelids. Mmmmm, NO. I’ve never gotten into cream eyeshadows, and I sure as hell ain’t starting with a purple one. Unless big bruised eyeball is the look I’m going for.

But then I got another Be A Bombshell item and this one I just love! It’s the single pan eyeshadow in a beautiful teal color. I wore this the other day and – I’ll just be honest with you – I stared at myself virtually all day. I went out of my way, took alternate diagonal, crisscross-y routes just to look in a mirror. I was addicted to myself. Don’t judge. I looked fabulous.

But the excitement couldn’t last all day because I got a brown pencil eyeliner from Jesse’s Girl that I could buy at Dollar Tree from here to eternity. I haven’t tried it so I suppose I shouldn’t be so hateful. There are a lot of nice products out there for $1.99 – Jordana is the first brand that comes to mind. Or Milani. So perhaps Jesse’s Girl is just as good. I’ll let you know.

Last product in the box is a big fat DELETE. Unless I’m in the mood to wear dark gray nail polish, or nail polish in general, this item gets immediately re-gifted. Sorry, Color Club. You could’ve at least been lavender or pastel green or something more cheerful. It is spring after all.

So this box wasn’t the best. I’m usually pretty happy with Lip Factory but not this time. Surely they’ll bounce back next month, and we can put this hideous incident behind us.

On a positive note, Sephora opened up inside my JCPenney and I’m headed there tonight! So excite! If you don’t hear from me for a few days, I’m probably still there buying all the things. No need to send out a search crew. I’m already home.

I feel like I’ve been doing beauty box reviews almost nonstop.  That’s what happens when you subscribe to 11 boxes I guess.  Scratch that, 12 boxes.  Erlack!  I signed up for another one from Beauty DNA.  I.  Am. Ridiculous.

But anyway, Lip Factory came in last week.  Had a chance to use every product, which I try to do before reviewing, although sometimes it’s impossible.  Happy to report I’m in love with everything.  Rarely happens in the beauty box world, so this is a massive achievement.  Lookie:

Every 4 months, Lip Factory does an It’s All About the Lips box, so you get nothing but lip products in it.  Normally, I’d be … eh … alright … about it because I like a variety, and lip products tend to last me nigh on forever.  Which, if you’ve read this blog before, you’d know how much I love throwing away empty containers.  It’s a bit of a perverse pleasure, you’d say.  I also enjoy owning all the things so … I’m my own oxymoron.

Back to the box.  This lip gloss from Mirenesse.  It’s beeeeyootiful.  I have never had anything like it.  It is the most pigmented frosty nude that looks amazing on my lips.  Normally, I’m not a fan of nude colors because my lips disappear right into my face.  But not this one.  It’s glorious.

Mirenesse is an Australian company, so their website lists prices in AUD.  So good luck figuring all that out.  But I highly recommend this product.  It is definitely one I will miss when the tube runs dry.

Got another lip butter from Ellovi.  Previously, Petit Vour sent me this but my daughter claimed it for herself.  So I was perfectly fine for getting another one.  It feels very nice on the lips and is perfect for applying in the evening after you remove your makeup.  I leave mine on the coffee table (naturally, where else?), so I can put it on while watching The Goldbergs.  It’s like my cute little nighttime ritual.  Also on the coffee table is my Essie Apricot Oil cuticle stuff, some Jack Black lip balm and my current evening moisturizer.  Just strewn about haphazardly.  Not even in a little trinket box.

Huh.  This goes against everything I stand for, doesn’t it?  The more I talk about it, the less cute my ritual sounds.  I mean, I despise clutter.  I am steadfast about tossing useless things.  Husband barely pulls mail out of the mailbox before I’m asking, Do you need this?  How about this? Can I throw away this?  You know how junk mail can be.  Even the programs on the DVR aren’t safe.  Well, my programs are, but when Husband records a live concert by Harry Connick Jr, I’m immediately asking why.  What is this?  Was this recorded on accident?  I mean, certainly you don’t plan to save this on the DVR for the rest of your life.  How many times can you possibly watch it?  I mean, once, tops.  Here, let me just delete it.  I’m just gonna go ahead and delete it.  Look, I’m deleting.  Ooops. It’s gone.  And the DVR gets tidied up just like that.

In other words, I’m buying a trinket box this weekend.

Got two things by Jesse’s Girl – a lip liner and a vitamin E balm.  First of all, the lip liner is in a really nice brick color, and it goes on pretty smooth.  The cap has a built in sharpener, which I love.  I don’t use lip liner that much, but on darker colored lipstick, I should.  Unless I want to look like I apply lipstick in the dark while drunk.  It all depends.

The vitamin E balm is classified as a lipstick, but it’s completely clear.  I like applying this stuff in the mornings right before I start my makeup.  That way, I have nice, smooth, moisturized lips by the time I’m putting on my lipstick.  I’m finishing up a different tube right now, but I sampled this one out of curiosity.   Feels good, not minty or tingly, but just nice.

Last item is a lipgloss quad by Cargo.  I love the handiness of this product.  I’ve sampled all the shades (my quad is called Casablanca), and there is a nude, a light pink, a darker plum and a matte brown.  The plum is my favorite.  I could wear this lipgloss on its own because it shows up darker than the others.  One thing though is I cannot find this quad on the Cargo website, so I’m not sure if it’s a discontinued product or not.  Other vendors sell it, but not Cargo.  Which is weird.  But who am I to contemplate others’ weirdness when I can’t even go to bed without physically touching the obviously locked front door knob despite seeing from 6 feet away that it’s clearly locked.

Okay, that’s it for now.  Only 5 more boxes to review and then we’re done.  Until next month that is.  Have a great weekend lovelies!

Another day, another beauty box.  The fun never ends.  I hope everybody loves these reviews because they keep coming.  And until I get tired of opening Christmas gifts each month (which will be NEVER), it will continue.

Okay, so here is what I got in my Lip Factory box:

Purty purty!  This is probably my favorite box I’ve gotten from them.  Aside from the eyelashes.  Let’s discuss eyelashes, shall we?

We shall.

Do not like.  Primarily because I don’t know how to use them.  I have applied fake lashes about 3 times in my life.  So although that is a perfectly reasonable explanation for my ineptness, it is also a perfectly reasonable explanation why I dislike.  If I can’t master something almost immediately, I lose interest like stat.  Just do.  Which is why I also hate the elliptical.  I mean, have you been on that thing?! Urgh.

However, the lashes are from Eyelashi.  They look scary.

Received two items from Teeez again this month.  However, that’s okay because I loved the two items I got from Teeez last month.  The packaging is soooo beautiful.  Anyway, they sent me a mascara and a lipstick.  Of course, I tried the mascara almost immediately.  Still searching for that holy grail.  And while it wasn’t the worst of the bunch, it didn’t give me the volume and length I really wanted.  Maybe I am too hard to please because that makes about 2,172 mascaras that have failed me.  At least that many.  If not more.

The lipstick – gah!  Just lovely.  It smells like a vanilla cupcake and the color is Awesome Orchid.  And according to their website it nourishes, hydrates and repairs lips.  Fancy that!  If I could do that many things all at once, as well as maintaining my poise and beauty, well I wouldn’t be writing this blog right now.  I’d be at a photoshoot somewhere, or fending off paparazzi.  Maybe eating finger sandwiches with the Queen.

Next item is a matte lip crayon by LASplash.  I got the color Cabernet, which is a gorgeous wine color.  And if you read my last post regarding my favorite lip duo, you’d know how I feel about wine.  And if you didn’t read that post, something is clearly wrong with you.

Anyway, I’ve tried some matte lipsticks before.  Most of them are very drying on my lips.  However, this one is fantastic.  Aside from the color, the texture is very lip balm-y, which is so nice.  Plus, the retail on these is only $9 which I don’t think is too bad at all.  More expensive than drugstore, but only slightly.  I kind of wanna go buy some more.  They have a coral color that has a 97.9476764% chance that I need it in my life.

Last item is this awesome burgundy coppery eyeshadow from Starlooks.  Sigh.  I just can’t take all this prettiest in one spot.  I wore this the other day and I loved.  I don’t have a color like this, so that may be why I’m having a thing for it.  To others who have a much bigger eyeshadow collection, you probably already own this in a MAC or Urban Decay version or something.  Just let me have my excitement anyway.  It’s a glorious shade, and it’s mine all mine.

The only thing I don’t like is that it’s a loose pan. Now I feel like I need to buy a Z-palette so I can put all my loose pans in it.  At the moment, however, I only have one loose pan.  In other words, I need to buy more loose pans.  OH wellllll!  Husband is bound to agree with that kind of logic.

Okay, kids.  I’m done for now.  Thanks for reading as always.

These boxes will never end.  As soon as one month wraps up, the next batch of boxes come in.  Not that I’m complaining or anything.  Although my husband is starting to give me stink eye everytime he opens the mailbox.  I can’t even pretend the boxes aren’t for me.  Cuz he knows better. He’s too smart for his own good.

I shoulda married a dumb one.  Damn.

Anyway, Lip Factory came in and here’s what I got:

A mix of highs and lows, but mostly highs so we’re gonna give this one a thumbs up.  First the lows.  What in sam hell is that one-time use skin care system doing in this box?!  Not knocking 29 Cosmetics or anything, but how am I gonna tell I wanna run out and buy an entire skin care line based on a one-time use?  Although, I will say the blister pack they sent is so much better than a packet.  I like it about one-tenth more because of it.

Next mediocre thing is the One Stick by Be A Bombshell.  I have received one of these already in a past Ipsy bag, and I didn’t like it all that much that time either.  The premise of the One Stick is that it can be used as a cream eyeshadow, blush or lipstick.  I don’t know what it is, though, that makes me not love it.  The Ipsy one was a super frosty pink that reminded me of my early 90s, triangle-shaped hair, big eyeglasses fiasco.  Maybe I’m suffering from a little PTSD, then?  I dunno.  But getting another one, although this time in super hot pink, made me go ew.  I put it in my train case of unused makeup.  It will die there, I’m sure.

Middle of the road thingy was this Electric Lip Slide by Bodyography.  I used it, and it is a super duper pigmented lipstick.  A little goes a long way here, unless you want to look a little hooker-y.  In that case, have at it.  I don’t know the name of the shade I got, but it’s a vibrant raspberry color.  It’s pretty but not a beautiful, can’t live with it kind of deal.  I’ll use it, but it will most likely last me until 2021.  Side note: this is a full-size tube; retail price $19.  That just about covers the entire $22 beauty box fee.  In other words: Go, Math!

My two favorite (and last) products in this box are by a company I’ve never heard of called Teeeze.  They are a Netherlands based company, so by that fact alone, I feel super international and fancy. I received this beautiful purple eyeshadow and matching eyeliner in the cutest, coolest packaging of anything I own.  See:

Seriously.  I die.

I used both of these the other day at the same time, putting the eyeliner under my lower lashes and smudging it out a la professional makeup artiste.  And it was stunning.  Even my husband, who is brain dead when it comes to makeup and what things (in general) are supposed to look like, said my makeup was pretty.  So sweet.  I will put that in my arsenal of excuses for when I get in trouble in the future.  Cuz it’s bound to happen.  He can’t keep pulling box after box out of the mailbox with a simple stink eye for too much longer.  There’s gotta be a little pressure building underneath all that, surely?

Either that, or I’ve married Jesus.

Anyway.

Hope all is well with you.  Thank you for reading my ramblings.  More soon.