Trying a New Brand: Looxi Beauty

I debated about whether or not to put this post up because the shadows that I purchased are no longer available, but I decided I wanted to go ahead so that others might have a better idea about the brand.

I first heard about this brand on Youtube but only in passing by a couple Youtubers. Then as I started following more and more people on Instagram, I saw pictures of their eyeshadows and swatches. They were so pretty and pigmented. The brand also makes some great dupes of more expensive eyeshadows and highlighters.

The brand I am talking about is Looxi Beauty. My understanding is that this is a small brand that you can only order from the website online.

I purchased four metallic shadows that were being discontinued as they were getting ready to put out fall shades. The pigmentation is out of this world! I can't wait to get a lot more products from Looxi Beauty including some of the gorgeous new fall shades. All the swatches that I have seen of their products are great and I will let you know what I think of this brand's mattes and other formulas when I pick them up.

I understand these to be hand pressed and I do get some kick up in the pan but don't have any problems with fallout. I love these colors for lid shades. They are absolutely gorgeous!

See for yourself!

Beauty Deals: Wet n Wild at the Dollar Tree

I like to check out my local Dollar Tree every week or so for beauty deals. I don't pick up brands like LA Colors that are stocked there all the time but instead look for drugstore brands such as Maybelline, Covergirl, Milani, or Elf. I have bought many Milani and Elf products at the Dollar Tree. Grant it that Elf is very affordable even at normal prices.

This past weekend I went into the Dollar Tree to get batteries my some of my sons toys and of course I had to browse through the beauty aisle. I found a few Wet n Wild items that I just could not pass over. It seems that Fergie and Wet n Wild have parted and went their separate ways so Wet n Wild is discontinuing the Fergie line. Before you get anxious over your favorite products, it seems that Wet n Wild has simply repackaged and renamed many of these items into their regular line. This means though that the Fergie line is being pulled from stores and sold at places like the Dollar Tree. I LOVE the highlighter that was in the Fergie line that was called Hollywood Boulevard but I haven't lucked up on it at the Dollar Tree (though I have heard that others have).

I did find three Velvet Matt Lip Colors that I just couldn't pass up for a dollar each. I picked up the colors A351 Trendscendence, A354 Timeless Chick, and A356 Plumgenue. It appears these would normally cost around $3.50. Upon looking them up online there are claims to these being dupes to some high end lip items but I do not have those high end lippies to compare with these.

Here are swatches of these three lippies:

Left to right: Trendscendence, Timeless Chick, and Plumgenue

 

 

I think these will be great to put in my purse to put some color on my lips in a hurry. The crayon style will make application on the go quick and easy. 

While these call themselves "matte", I can actually seem some shimmer in Trendscendence. But the claim to be velvet is pretty spot on for these. They are light and almost feel soft when touching the swatch with your finger. For one dollar each I think these are a great find.

Do you want to find anything from the Fergie collection in Dollar Tree? Happy hunting!

Violet Voss x Laura Lee Palette

I own the Holy Grail palette by Violet Voss and overall I really like it. I moved it in and out of my "everyday" makeup drawer. I used it some when I first got it and now I have moved it out but it will soon be in there again as I love those cranberry tones for fall. Well, what does that have to do with the Laura Lee palette? A lot for me actually. I really debated buying the Laura Lee palette. I knew that I didn't want the Drenched Metals palette because I just don't wear bright colors such as bright blue and purple very often. I wanted the Laura Lee palette but at the same time I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on it. I love watching Laura Lee and wanted to support her but I also don't want to spend my money just to support someone if the product is not worth it to me. I was afraid there would be a lot of overlap between the Holy Grail palette and the Laura Lee palette. I do believe there are some similarities but there is also several differences as well. Also, I had heard some complaints on Youtube about the pigmentation of the matte shades, but the people that were complaining about the Laura Lee palette also didn't like the matte shades in the Holy Grail palette. I really didn't have any complaints about the mattes in the Holy Grail palette. Maybe they were not the best in the world but they definitely were not the worst either. They preformed fine for me on the eye. It is not like the mattes are so bad that I don't want to reach for the palette or that I need to pick up another palette for matte shadows. Then the main issue was the color overlap of the two palettes. I finally decided there was enough difference that I bit the bullet and bought it on this last restock. I also was afraid this would be the last restock and I would regret it if I did not order. (I told you those limited edition things really get me.)

The palette was packaged nicely as you can see below: (though I do think the packaging box was different from the Holy Grail palette to this one. Oh well. Maybe I am imagining things.)

There was a nice peice of foam on either side of the palette to ensure it would arrive safely. Then inside the box for the palette itself the palette was wrapped in a light bubble wrap. Mine made it to me safe and sound.

Here is the palette on the inside:

It has a nice large mirror:

Swatches:
All swatches are only one swipe on skin without any primer. The top photo is natural light and the second photo is with flash.

Basic, Sugah, Priss Pot, Mama Bird, Raga Muffin

Larlee, Tickled Pink, Hissy Fit, Bitty, 1988

Fleeky, Britches, Fried, Yoshi, Rammer Jammer

Alabama, Wiskers, Bubs, Smashlee, Lou

I think this is a gorgeous palette and I will definitely get a lot of use out of it. Yoshi and Smashlee are unlike anything that I have in my collection. While they are not color tones I would usually gravitate toward, I am still excited to try them out and have them in my collection.

As you can see the mattes are not the stars of the palette but in my opinion are great supporting shadows to use in looks for blending and transition shades.

The net wt. of the palette is 1.26 oz so you are getting a lot of product.

Holy Grail Palette for comparison:

 

Comparison swatches:

Transition vs. Mama Bird

Hashtag vs. Raga Muffin

Toffee vs. Hissy Fit (Since these were really similar I took two pictures. The first is without flash and the second is with flash.)

On Fleek vs. 1988 (Since these were really similar I took two pictures. The first is without flash and the second is with flash.)

Cranberry Splash vs. Rammer Jammer (Since these were really similar I took two pictures. The first is without flash and the second is with flash.)

R U Kitten Me vs. Britches (Since these were really similar I took two pictures. The first is without flash and the second is with flash.)

Brownie Points vs. Alabama vs. Teddy Bear vs. Wiskers

I hope this provides you with some help if you are trying to decide whether or not to buy the Violet Voss x Laura Lee palette before it is gone forever! I know it is now sold out on the Violet Voss website but some of their retailers still have it including some that sell online. Happy shopping!

This is not in anyway sponsored and I bought these products with my own money.

August 2016 Ipsy Bag

Look what I got in the mail yesterday (it was going to say today but my toddler was having a rough night so this didn't get posted as soon as I had thought):

A Bright Pink Mailer! Which only means one thing: my ipsy bag!
(I love when cosmetic companies use cute packaging such as Too Faced boxes! They make me so happy when I get the mail.)

Here is the bag and "postcard":

So the theme this month is Sugar Highness, like makeup royalty. I love the feel of the bag and that it is a top zip but I am not that crazy about the picture design on the front. I feel that she almost looks mad. Maybe it is just me but the print is not my favorite.

Here is what I got this month:

I got the It Hair Care 12 in 1 Amazing Leave In Treatments. This is 3.4 fl oz which I don't see listed on their website for sale. The 5.1 oz is $9.99 on their website. (They have listed on their website a clear dry shampoo. Now that maybe something that I have to try out. I am always on the hunt for the best dry shampoo.) Normally, I would be excited that it is such a large size but if there is one thing that I don't mind getting a sample size of it would be hair care. I do like some of the styling products that I get from Ipsy but I rarely ever use something like a leave in treatment because my hair is so fine and oily. I find products like these almost always weigh my hair down. I will give it a try and if I don't like it then I will pass it along to my mother because she has dry hair. 

I got the Beau Gachis Paris Pro Series Applicator Sponge. This is usually sold in a duo with another sponge for $23.99. This sponge feels really soft. I have not yet put it in water to see if the size changes. I don't have a Beauty Blender to compare this to but it does feel just as soft as my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. This sponge is latex free. This is probably the product that I am most excited to try out of my Ipsy bag this month. 

Next, I got the Gimme Brow by Benefit Cosmetics in a small sample size. I was a little disappointed in this for multiple reasons. First, a couple of the other benefit brow products were available for free at Ulta's when they first launched so this just seems like a very small inexpensive sample. Second, I don't use a lot of brow products. No, I don't have my brows done to be "instagram worthy". I don't want my brows to be so sparse that I have to take the time to fill them in to feel like I can step out of the house. Lets be honest, with a three year old some days I am lucky to have on a tinted moisturizer let alone to take time to fill in my brows. So my brows are more natural with some strays plucked away. I do like clear brow gel and LOVE the one by Anastasia Beverly Hills. 

Next up, I got the Beaute Basics 3 Tone Bronzer. This is a bronzer with three strips of different colors. It can also be swirled together to make another shade. There website was not very user friendly and even with using the search feature I could not locate this product. I am not the biggest fan of shimmery bronzers. I do own a couple that I like to use in the summer time. So I will give this a try before summer wanes. The product must have been packaged for Ipsy because the back of the box gives the Ipsy discount code which is convenient. 

Here are swatches: 

I swatched each color strip and then mixed them together for the fourth swatch (which honestly resembles the darkest shade). 

Last, I got Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics' Neopolitan Palette. This is a cute little eyeshadow trio that can be used wet or dry. This is listed on their website for $17.95. This seems a little small for that price tag but maybe it is great quality (or at least I hope so). The colors are supposed to be infused with Gardenia flower extract which I am sure also contributes to the price and advertise an 8 hour wear time. The shadows are supposed to be be paraben free and hypoallergenic. I really like this brands packaging. All three shades are shimmery which is fine by me because I use shimmer shades on my lids almost everyday. I have not tried these on my lids yet but you can see swatches below. 

They seem to swatch nicely and I can't wait to give them a try. The small size will make it nice for travel. 

Well that is it for my August 2016 Ipsy bag. It is not the best bag I have received or the worst. Now I am ready for next month's spoilers. Haha! Impatient. I know. 

If you would like to give Ipsy a try then you can sign up using my referral link: 

https://www.ipsy.com/new?cid=ppage_ref&sid=link&refer=tuiib

Deal Alert: Kat Von D Shade and Light Blush Duos

I spotted these at my local TJ Maxx and Marshall's a couple months ago and picked up three colors. I was looking for a couple other colors but after checking a few more times I had given up on finding those. But then this past week, I found four more colors at TJ Maxx plus repeats to some of the ones I had already purchased. I have purchased six of these in total for myself. As you can see, I paid $5.99 for each at both Marshall's and TJ Maxx.

I realize these were pulled from Sephora due to lack of pigmentation and how hard they were pressed in the pan. I am not trying to encourage you to buy these or provide an in depth review of them. I just wanted to let you know that these are currently available at Marshall's and TJ Maxx so if you had wanted to pick up a color or just want to give them a try then you can go out and look for them. I will say I like a more natural blush look overall so I didn't pick up the last shade which was a brighter orange in Sid and Nancy. I have used one of these blushes. I really dug into it when I went to apply since I had heard of such poor pigmentation and I ended up with practically having clown cheeks. So I don't know if some batches were better than others or if I just don't expect a ton of pigmentation from my blush, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I like the payoff of these blushes.

If you want these blushes, then good luck hunting!

More Liquid Lipsticks! Ofra Limited Edition Summer Metallics

More Mail! I love getting packages in the mail even though I am sure my bank account does not like it quite as much!

This arrived in my mailbox this past week!

Prior to this purchase, I only owned one liquid lipstick by Ofra which is Charmed from the Manny collaboration. I really like the formula of that lipstick and I plan on buying more of Ofra's liquid lipsticks in the future. So then, what is in that box?

Well, when I saw the Limited Edition Summer Metallics by Ofra, I thought they were so pretty! I already own some metallics by other brands and I think they are great. I don't wear them everyday but I think they can be so pretty! I knew I wanted to order at least part of this collection by Ofra before it was sold out forever. Yes, brands can really sucker me in with the "limited edition". What can I say? Then those items climb to the top of my list and are of high priority. I knew I liked Ofra's liquid lipstick formula and I hoped these would not be an exception so I decided it was time to place an order.

The next problem: Which color to order? The swatches I kept seeing on Instagram were all so pretty. I really liked the color Versailles which is described by Ofra as " an elegant nude". I thought it might be versatile to use for the whole lip or just the center of the lip. But I own Chromattic Addict from the Milani Metallic Matte line and I worried that these two would be exactly the same. My next favorite was probably Monaco which is decribed by Ofra as an "icy pink purple". I worried this would be really similar to Citronade Rose by Jouer that I recently purchsed. Then there is Santorini which is described by Ofra as "a vibrant hot pink". It is a beautiful color and I know I don't own anything like it because it is not something that I would feel confident to wear very often. So what is a girl to do but to order the set of three? Hey the set is already discounted then I ordered on National Lipstick Day so Ofra had all the lipsticks marked down 10% and I used a 30% off code (which it seems like everyone on youtube and instagram have). I was afraid I would order one or two and not be satisfied with the colors, or they would be like the others that I have and it would leave me wishing I had purchased other colors. The best answer was to get all three!

Here are swatches of the three:

From left to right: Versailes, Monaco, Santorini

The lipsticks came packaged in this clear box since I bought all three.

Now on to the liquid lipsticks!

One of my biggest worries when purchasing these was whether or not they would transfer a lot and I would have to worry about having bright metallic pink smeared on my face. I asked around on Instagram and didn't get a lot of feedback. Some people told me they would transfer and not dry all the way down but I thought for those pretty colors I would see for myself. I know that Ofra's regular matte lipsticks will transfer quite a bit onto drinks or food. But I thought that I would give these a try anyway since the colors were so pretty and I do like Ofra's liquid lipstick formula.

These have the same great feel as the matte liquid lipsticks by Ofra. I love their formula and find it not only comfortable but almost moisturizing. These lipsticks like the others by Ofra do not dry all the way down and will transfer. After eating or drinking a lot the lipstick will need to be touched up. I don't worry about smearing it across my face but it definitely makes me want to go check my lipstick after meals. The colors are opaque and really gorgeous. Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I am not sure how much I will wear Santorini out but hopeful I will get up the nerve to wear such a bright color.

So what about how did they compare to the other liquid metallic lipsticks that I own? We will leave that for another post. Be on the lookout!

This is not sponsored and I purchased these items with my own money.

Mail is Here! Jouer Package

I love getting packages in the mail.

I made an order from Jouer using a 25% off code from Ipsy. Then a few days later that very weekend, Jouer had a 40% off sale. Shot that always happens to me. Oh well, I would have ordered a couple things if I had caught the 40% off sale. At least I didn't pay full price. I love a sale and I hate paying full price. I also hate paying for shipping. I would prefer to buy more products to reach free shipping than to pay for shipping. Anyway, back to my package.

I had heard such good things about Jouer liquid lipsticks that I wanted to try them out. I love how long liquid lipsticks usually last over regular lipsticks. So I picked out four colors that I thought I would be more likely to wear during the summer. I picked up the colors Dulce de Leche, Lychee, Pétale de Rose, and Citronade Rose. Three of these colors are matte and the fourth is metallic.

First lets talk size and packaging. There is 0.21 fl. oz. per lipstick. I was surprised that it was actually much more product than some of my other liquid lipsticks that seem much larger with the way they are packaged. So this packaging must trick the eye because I expected them to contain much less. (For example Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks contain 0.10 fl. oz. What? How could Jouer have more? The packaging seems so tiny. Don't let it fool you. Even comparing the two next to each other I am still not convinced that someone is lying to me.) They come in a pretty light cream almost pink box. The lipstick is in a clear rectangular container. That is made with a slot on one side so that it can be hooked onto their palettes. I have never seen a feature like this on any other lip product so it is very unique. I do not own any Jouer palettes so I will not be utilizing this feature anytime soon. There is  product in each lipstick. The applicator is a doe foot applicator.

The first three colors I picked out are close in color but there are differences. The Dulce de Leche is lighter and has a little more brown to the color. The Lychee is more pink and the Pétale de Rose is a deeper pink. The Citronade Rose is of course very different since it is metallic. It is a light pink base and very metallic.

From left to right: Dulce de Leche, Lychee, Pétale de Rose, Citronade Rose

The lipstick is very thin and liquidy in the tube. I did not expect it to be that thin, but it is also very opaque. One dip in the tube will normally do all my lips. All of these colors dry down to a completely dry finish that does NOT transfer. They are light on the lips and you do not feel like there is a lot of product on your lips. I really do like them overall but I have a few issues with them as well.

They are so liquidy that if I put the lipstick on and put my lips together to transfer some of the product to my top lip then the lipstick must run in my mouth and gets on my teeth. I have never had this problem with any other liquid lipstick. I will just have to remember to not put my lips together to transfer the color. While they do not transfer, they will break down with food and drinks. When the color on the center of my lips fades away it does not look that horrible with the colors that I have purchased. When this happens, not only does it wear away in the center of the lip but I find that somehow it will transfer the broken down lipstick onto my chin. I don't know how it ends up on my chin. It is like my bottom lip curls down and deposits the broken down lipstick onto the center of my chin. So I always have to make sure to check my makeup after meals. I even had this happen on day when I had only been drinking some sweet tea. I find this to be slightly frustrating. If I wear this lipstick all day then by the end of the day my lips feel really dry and I have to either take it off or add some gloss to make my lips still feel alive.

Bottom Line: I will be purchasing more of these liquid lipsticks. I like the color selection offered by Jouer. I plan to order Creme Brulee and Noisette for fall. I also want to purchase Praline and Papaye and the Skinny Dip lip topper in the future. I really like how this formula dries down completely matte that does not transfer. I like how opaque the colors are with just one dip of the applicator. I am really enjoying these liquid lipsticks.

This is not sponsored and I purchased these products with my own money.

Face Mists: Summer Face Refreshment

I can't get enough face mists. They have become one of my newest obsessions of beauty products. Whether I use them to prime my face, set my makeup, or just for the hydration and refreshment, they are perfect and oh so refreshing on a hot summer day. I just can't get enough of them!
Here is my current collection and my thoughts on each:

ELF Makeup Mist & Set
This was probably the first face mist that I ever owned. The price point made it a great way to try a "setting spray". While I don't think it necessarily extends the wear of my makeup, I use it to foil eye shadows and highlights as well as the last step of my makeup to make sure my face doesn't look too powdery. It works wonderful for both these things and for $3.00 you can't beat the price. The price point makes this around $1.49 an ounce. The packaging and sprayer are nothing special but get the job done. I have repurchased it in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

Urban Decay All Nighter
 I use this when I do want my makeup to last a really long time or if I am going to a special event and it really gets the job done. All I can say is good things about it. So if you want your makeup to look like you just put in on when really it was hours ago then this is the spray for you. The price point is higher as you would expect with a higher end brand as it sells for $30.00 for 4 ounces which makes it $7.50 an ounce.  A bottle lasts me quite a while, but I don't use it everyday. I will repurchase it in the future.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water

I mainly use this as primer water. I have dry skin and it gives me some hydration and seems to really help my makeup "stick" to my skin but not in a bad way. This actually seems to help so that my makeup does not cling to dry patches. I will also use it as a finishing spray. This spray is free of silicone, alcohol, and oil. Smashbox says that it can be stored in the fridge so that it will also be cooling. I would really like to try that but I am afraid I would just forget it in the fridge. I like the sprayer on this packaging. Overall, it does seem to extend the wear of my makeup, though I will admit sometimes it feels like I am just using really expensive water. This product usually retails for $32.00 for 3.9 ounces which makes it $8.21 per ounce I had a hard time convincing myself to give it a try. I believe that I may repurchase it in the future but right now it does not have a "must have" status in my stash. 

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist
This is the first face mist that I owned that was not a "setting spray". It claims to hydrate, tone, and refresh and can be use on hair as well as your face according to the Juice Beauty website. I have dry skin and suffer from some redness around my nose and my mouth so I thought this would be a great addition to my face care routine.  I often use this after I cleanse my face, before I  put on moisturizers or face creams. I also use it sometimes as a final step of my makeup to make sure things don't look too powdery. But mostly I use this just randomly throughout the day to feel refreshed and hydrated. This product retails for $22.00 for 6.75 ounces which makes it $3.26 per ounce. I thought this sounded like a pretty good deal for a face mist especially one with organic ingredients. Overall, I like this product and it leaves my face feeling hydrated and refreshed, but I do not really care for the scent. I use it anyway but I doubt I will repurchase it.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray
I bought this because I had heard lots of great things about this brand plus it was a great price. Again, I wanted this for hydration and refreshment for my face. Not only does it do that but it smells AMAZING! I love rose scents and this face mist has a great rose scent. I love it! When I spray it on my face, it is pure bliss. It is like a spa in a bottle for me! I use this after I cleanse, before moisturizer, as a final step in my makeup, and whenever it is nearby! It is great for using after your makeup is on as well! For the price, this can't be beat for a refreshing hydrating face mist. I bought this at Ulta where the largest bottle I saw was 4 ounces for $7.00 which makes it $1.75 per ounce, but on Mario Badescu's website there is an 8 ounce bottle for $12.00 which makes the price $1.50 per ounce. That is practically the same as the ELF Makeup Mist. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a refreshing face mist. I will definitely repurchase this (next time in the larger size) and I plan to get a small bottle to put in my purse.

Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist
I bought this when I went on a trip and didn't pack any kind of face mist. Yes, I really am that obsessed with face mists that I had to buy one to have on my trip. I stopped at a Target on the way and picked this up. The word hydrating in the name drew me in to this particular mist and I had heard so many good things about Pixi's Glow Tonic so I grabbed this one and was on my way. I thought it was a little pricey compared to my Mario Badescu that I had left at home (gosh I need to buy one for travel asap) but it would have to do because there was not an Ulta nearby. It retails for $15.00 for 2.7 ounces of product which makes it $5.56 per ounce. Overall, this face mist is just OK. I have had it to burn my eyes when I used too much and didn't have my eyes closed tight enough. I may repurchase this product or try a different Pixi face mist in the future such as the Glow Mist.

Avene Thermal Spring Water
I received this is my July Ipsy bag. This product claims to be naturally soothing. I have only used it a couple times and so far I like it but I am not sure that it lives up to its claims just yet. It does have me very intrigued and I am considering not only really putting this small size to the test but purchasing the larger size with an Ipsy code for money off so that I can give it a longer test run. This product costs $18.50 for 10.58 ounces (the largest size offered) which is $1.75 an ounce. But am I really just paying that for water? It claims to be clinically proven and have a neutral pH and rich trace elements. Also, it is said to be good for redness which is something I am constantly battling.

None of these face mists have given me any kind of negative reaction or caused any breakouts.

Overall, it really depends on what you want out of your face mist to decide which is the best for you.

My awards would be:

Best Refreshment: Mario Badescu
Longevity of Makeup: Urban Decay All Nighter
Best Value (to foil makeup and such): ELF

There are other face mists that I would like to try (told you I was obsessed).
Here is my wish list:

• Mac Fix+ 
• Laura Geller's Spackle Mist
• Josie Maran's Nirvana Hydrating Treatment Mist

Have you tried any of these? What are your thoughts on them?

* Ipsy is a monthly subscription service that sends you five sample to full size products for $10 a month. If you would like to sign up using my referral code then please click here

This is not sponsored and I purchased these products with my own money.