Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow-Review

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So I’ve had this bad boy for a while now so I thought I’d share my thoughts with you all! I waited in that insane virtual line for hours to get my hands on this only to find out later it’s super easy to get your paws on. This sweet peach glow kit retails for $42 and contains a blush (or blush topper, rather), bronzer and highlighter.

This smells like peach rings candy. While I find this pleasant, I find the chocolate bar and other chocolate scented palettes overwhelming and off-putting so if you’re not into fake peach this is a hard pass. Also, the whole makeup smelling like food thing slightly weirds me out, I always wonder if that means it lessens the life and will expire sooner, maybe that’s be over thinking it but ick!

That being said I really like the blush, I enjoy the highlight and the bronzer isn’t for me. The blush is light and glowy and the perfect wash of peach for my cheeks. It applies well, as the product is not heavily pigmented which I find to be a positive thing for blushes. The highlighter is pretty and gives a natural glow to my face, not quite as subtle as hourglass highlighters but definitely not the crazy glow you get with Anastasia glow kits.

This bronzer could probably be pretty on the right person but for me it is far too orange. I have cool-toned, fair skin and this bronzer gives me more of a soft kiss of Tropicana (no pulp) rather than the sun-kissed bronze I was aiming for.

So if you consider that I’m not really a fan of the bronzer, that’s $15 wasted which is pretty steep. I say if you love this blush color, skip this and scoop up the papa don’t peach blush (which is gorgeous!) and if only the highlighter tickles your fancy, I’d opt for a a single peachy-toned highlighter instead.

Though I am satisfied with my purchase, I’d think this one through before dropping $42 on this baby.

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XO

Amanda

TJ Maxx Haul

This past week I had the pleasure of doing some shopping with my mom at our local TJ Max and found some pretty cool beauty steals!

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Smashbox LA lights blush and highlight palette $24.99

Too Faced Melted Metal lipstick in Metallic Bunny $5.99

Origins GinZing cream eyeshadow in Blue-tiful Burst $11.99

Estee Lauder Double Wear eyebrow pencil duo $16.99

Alba Bontanica fast fix for a pijmple $3.99

Pearl essence Dry Shampoo in Lavendar Fields $6.99 (this smells incredible)

Bobbi Brown Smokey in Seconds kit $34.99 (Includes liner, shadow stick, makeup remover and mascara)

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Close up of the blush/highlight palette

Total Spent: $105.93 Honestly a pretty good haul for the total, I’ll update in a week or so with reviews of these products!

TooFacedXKatVonD Better Together eyeshadow palette review

This collection will set you back a whopping $65 but also comes with a full size Better Than Sex mascara and a full size Tattoo Liner in Trooper. If you account for the cost of these two items in the price then you’re paying $23 for the eyeshadow palette or about $1.91 per shade.

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On the Too Faced side there are six shades: BFF (matte cream), Lovely (matte baby pink), Friendspiration (shimmery brass) , Heart of Gold (shimmery green toned old gold), Power Couple (dark chocolate brown with gold glitter) and Better Together (deep shimmery purple).

I was pleasantly surprised with all of the shimmer shades on this side of the palette. The only two dudes in the whole palette were the two matte shades: BFF and Lovely. They take a lot of building up to get color payoff, whereas all the other shades glide on like butter. The matte shades though disappointing do work if you’re willing to spend a bit of time blending.

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On the Kat Von D Side we have another six shades: Por Vida (matte white), Darling (shimmery grey), Yours (cool-toned deep, matte grey), Devotion (Deep matte black), Swoon (a gorgeous deep red with gold reflects) and Lovestruck (a light, shimmery, peachy gold).

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Ahh all of the shades on the Kat Von D side are honestly stunning. They blend like butter and do not disappoint. They are the exact same quality I have come to expect from Kat Von D. Not to mention the overall aesthetic of this collection is stunning. The two palettes also are connected via magnet and come apart easily if you only wanted to take one side while traveling.

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Overall, I find this collection a great value if you love the mascara and liner that the collection comes with or have been itching to try them. The quality, pigment and lasting power is all here in this little baby. I’d definitely scoop it up if you’re considering it!

 

365 Days of Samples-2

Update #1 

Here are the samples I drew last time and my thoughts on them:

1.) The Professional Matte Rescue Foundation Primer-Benefit $28 for full size

I’ll be honest, I haven’t used this yet. I have extremely dry skin and live in northern Ohio, so I’ve been avoiding making myself look too matte and therefore dry and cakey, looks like this guy is rolling over to my next set of samples.

2.) Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume $80 for full size

It’s a nice, light fragrance. It, however, does not last very long on me unlike the original Daisy. It disappears far to quickly and isn’t anything special. WNR.

3.) Origins Night-A-Mins  renewal cream $43 for 1.7 oz.

This smells really nice and is nice and hydrating. WCR.

4.) Belif Aquabomb moisturizer $38 for 1.68 oz.

I started using this a bit and it is extremely hydrating and lovely. It has a light fragrance and does good things for my dry skin. I’ve made a large dent in this but I’ve still got a bit left so this rolls over to the next set of samples. WR.

5.) Nexxus hair treatment $15.79 for 4.8 oz.

This actually made my hair really soft and nice feeling. I used it as a conditioner and was honestly really impressed with how far this small sample went. I already have my holy grail conditioner/treatment but if I ever couldn’t find it or needed something else I’d look for this. WR.

6.) Whish body butter (lavender scented)$18 for 5 oz.

I can not stand the smell of this stuff. However, it does moisturize my skin. However, I like to smell like something…that I can tolerate the scent of. I’m glad to be rid of it. WNR.

7.) Philosphy Take a Deep Breath oxygenating gel $40 for 2 oz.

This is okay, it smells nice and works fine. However, it’s nothing special. WNR.

8.) Tatcha moisture rich silk cream $150 for 1.86 oz.

Oh. My. Gosh. This stuff is luxurious and incredible but when I looked up the price tag I was honestly horrified. $150?! That’s crazy! I did find a travel size on Amazon for $33, I would consider purchasing this to see how far I could stretch it while it was still beneficial for my skin. This stuff made my skin so soft, supple and moisturized. I even hoarded and got the most I could out of this sample because I love the way it made my skin feel. WCR.

9.) Shea Moisture facial wash/scrub and mask(s). (It’s a 3 pack). All 3 + extras for $19.

Ugh. I think this stuff was okay as far as cleansing my skin went but the mask made my face itch like crazy and boy does this stuff stink, in the worst way. I couldn’t get through the additional two face products and will be passing them along to the friend because I can’t stand the scent and doesn’t do well for my skin. WNR.

10.) Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer $32 for 2 oz.

Before I opened this I thought it was the organ oil, however this is a moisturizer. It is very sticky and has a texture like Elmer’s glue which I find off-putting. It does, however, moisturize my skin and make my skin feel nice. I’m not sure I can get over the texture though. WNR.

Stay tuned this week for my next set of samples drawn from my box.

8 samples finished so far! Not too shabby. 

WCR- Would consider repurchasing
WNR-Would not repurchase
WR-Would repurchase

Face of the Day-New Years Eve

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Here’s What I used to create this look:

L’Oreal Magic Lumi primer.  $12.99

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit in fair as foundation and concealer.  $40

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in soft brown. $23

Lorac Mega Pro 3 palette. I used the shades glacier, deep fog and mist. $60

Lancome Art-liner $30.50 and Hypnose Drama Mascara.  $27.50

Besame cosmetics lipstick in American Beauty. $22

Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow for blush, bronzer and highlight. $42

I set the whole face with Urban Decay All Nighter spray.  $15

 

2016 Empties-Annual Total

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You can see my empties from January- August at my previous blog, here.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Lightening Conditioner- $7.63

L’Oreal EverPure Blonde Brass Banisher Shampoo= $5.99

Garnier Whole Blends Green Apple & Green Tea Conditioner- $3.49

Regis Hydrating Balm- $13.59

Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo- $13.99

Mango Mandarin Hand Soap-$6.50

Equate refreshing cleansing towelettes- $3.48

Ecotools makeup cleansing cloths- $6.98

Impress nails- $6.99

CHI 44 Iron Guard- $9.83

Redken Satinwear Blow-dry lotion-$15.00

Venus Olay travel shaving cream- $2.97

Psssst Dry shampoo- $5.47

Japanese Cherry Blossom Sugar Scrub- $16.50

Aussie 3-minute Miracle- $2.97

John Frieda sheer blonde highlight activating conditioner-$4.97

Stress Relief Foaming body wash-$13.00

Olay cleansing cloths (2 packs_- $2.00

Old Spice Deodorant-$1.59

Clinique chubby in the nude foundation stick deluxe sample-$5.00

Tea Tree cooling foot scrub-$2.00

Mahogany Driftwood candle-$5.19

Smashbox 24-hour eye primer-$21.00

Makeup forever mascara sample-$12.00

Ulta flawless face prime- $4.00

Avon lipgloss-$5.00

NYX lush lashes XXL mascara-$6.99

L’Oreal butterfly mascara-$7.99

ELF Eyeliner- $1.00

Escada perfume sample-$0.00

Josie Maran mascara travel size- $12.00

Ouai Hair treatment mask- $4.00

Sephora travel size mascara-$5.00

Johnson&Johnson Baby Shampoo-$0.99

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser sample-$2.00

Not pictured: Lancôme eye serum-$2.00

 

September-December Total-$239.10

Annual Total: $1,504.12

This year I used $1,504.12 worth of beauty, hair, makeup and lifestyle products. I’m so glad to actually be getting use out of the things I purchased.

L’Oreal Miss Manga Rock Mascara-Review

I first heard of this mascara from one of my all time favorite beauty Youtuber’s/bloggers Livloveshermakeup (You can also find her blog here). She is so bright, positive, delightful and I honestly just want to be her best friend. She’s a professional flutist (a quite talented one at that) and a fellow makeup enthusiast, and I always feel I am able to trust her opinions.

A few weeks ago she was wearing this mascara in a few of her videos and her snapchat (and oh my gosh did her lashes look incredible) and mentioned that it was discontinued. However, I happened to find a surplus of this mascara at my local TJ Maxx (for only $3.00 to $3.99 a tube). If you can’t find it there, you can also buy it here.

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When you apply this mascara the formula is on the dry side and it dries very, very quickly. However, this mascara does wonders at lengthening and volumizing your lashes. I really like the way my lashes turn out when using this. However, be warned that when I say it dries quickly, I mean it. This mascara is good for layering if it’s the top layer but does not perform well while layering if it’s the bottom layer due to this.

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I find this mascara holds up rather well through the day and doesn’t move around or make me look like I have raccoon eyes but after 8+ hours of wear it does begin to flake off. This mascara is easy to remove with micellar water and never leaves my lashes feeling brittle. If you see this in your local TJ Maxx I’d recommend picking yourself up a tube.

365 Days of Samples-1

Last year I discovered Elle S. aka shadowsmoked on youtube and I was immediately hooked on her Project 365 Days of Samples, where she would use and review the samples in her sample box. As a beauty junkie, over time I too have accumulated a lot of samples that I have barely touched. I am now going to take on the year, as Elle did, and work through my sample box. Once I have used the products I will tell you what worked for me, what didn’t and what I can’t wait to purchase.

I drew ten samples out of my box to start with so here are the products I am beginning this project with:dscf1343

1.) The Professional Matte Rescue Foundation Primer-Benefit

2.) Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume

I started using this a bit. It’s a nice, light fragrance. It, however, does not last very long on me unlike the original Daisy.

3.) Origins Night-A-Mins  renewal cream

4.) Belif Aquabomb moisturizer

I started using this a bit and it is extremely hydrating and lovely. It has a light fragrance and so far does good things for my skin.

5.) Nexxus hair treatment

6.) Wish body butter (lavender scented)

I also began to use this. I can not stand the smell of this stuff. However, it does moisturize my skin.

7.) Philosphy Take a Deep Breath oxygenating gel

8.) Tatcha moisture rich silk cream

9.) Shea Moisture facial wash/scrub and mask(s). (It’s a 3 pack).

10.) Josie Maran Argan Oil

 

Until next time!

-XO-

A

Top 16 Beauty Picks of 2016

1.) Lorac Pro Eyeshadow (Eyeshadow). $44
Smoother than a baby’s bottom. 

I could gush about this eyeshadow formula for ages! These do kick up quite a bit of powder, but the way they blend like butter is well worth a little kick-up. I love the Lorac Pro original the most, as I find it the most versatile for every day. If you’ve been debating picking this palette up for a while, go ahead and take the plunge!

2.) Regis Hydrating Balm (Hair Mask). $15
A real tall drink of water. 

I don’t even have words for how incredible this makes my hair look. I have really thick, dry hair. It gets knotted and dry and damaged looking rather quickly from heat styling or hair coloring. I had been having serious split ends and a huge problem with my ahir looking dry and straw like. This was recommended to me by a stylist at a Regis salon and oh my gosh does it work. The stylist told me I could use it as a daily conditioner or as a mask I leave on for about 15 minutes at a time. I choose to use it a few times a week as a mask and the day after I use this (since I shower in the evening) my hair always, without a doubt, looks healthy, hydrated and just plain phenomenal!

3.) Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (Body Scrub). $16
Seriously smooth skin. 

Not only does this smell lovely but it has the perfect size scrub exfoliants and is just the right balance of abrasive and gentle. The only thing I would change is I would put it in a squeeze tube, rather than a tub. A tub is hard to get in and out of while showering.

4.) Juliette Has A Gun-Not A Perfume (Fragrance). $28 for travel size
Simply scent-sational.

I got this fragrance as a deluxe sample in I believe a Birchbox earlier this year. I have never gotten so many compliments when wearing a fragrance before, I always feel so lovely and flattered when I spray this on. It is made of only one element Ambroxan/Cetalox. Supposedly this means the fragrance smells different on everyone, on me it is light and fresh with a slight musk and I love it!

Read more about Ambroxan/Cetalox 

5.) Glamglow Super Mud (Face Mask) $69
Clear as day. 

I know this stuff has quite the hefty price tag ( but you can find it for less than $69 if you do a little digging) but trust me when I tell you it’s worth it! I’ve used this both as a face mask and as a spot treatment.

6.) Maybeline Age Rewind Concealer-Brightener Version (Concealer) $8.99
The bright of your eye. 

Wow! This concealer has made all the difference for me. I have huge blue-black dark circles under my eyes (because I’m a vampire, duh) and this beautiful pink-toned concealer color corrects and makes me look awake and alive! This stuff is budget friendly and incredible.

7.) Estee Lauder Double Wear (Foundation) $39.50
Poreless perfection. 

This is a beautiful coverage that never looks heavy or ages the skin. I have rather dry skin myself and this foundation makes my face look airbrushed.

8.) Conair Infiniti hair straightener (Hair Tool) $33.99
From groove to smooth. 

I got this as a gift from my fiancé at the beginning of the year and wow is this incredible! It gets really hot and straightens every little bit of hair. My hair has never been straighter or smoother. I’ve had many high-end straighteners (Chi’s) that didn’t last nearly as long or perform nearly as well as this!

9.) Goody Tanglefix (Hair brush) $5.98
No more knots. 

I don’t know what to say other than I love this! It takes all the knots right out of my hair with ease. I find this best to use on my wet hair (blasphemous, I know) an it leaves my hair tangle free the next day when I go to style it! An excellent little brush that lives up to it’s name.

10.) Makeup Monsters Liquid Lipsticks (liquid lipstick) $15
Scary long-lasting. 

Eat, drink, laugh, this liquid lipstick is not going anywhere. Not only is the liquid lipstick long-lasting and opaque. It’s also reasonably priced and has the cutest packaging! You can grab two of these for the cost of many high end liquid lipsticks!

11.) Kat Von D Tattoo liner (Eyeliner) $19
Ink that stays. 

This liner is all in the name! It really doesn’t budge and has full opacity at first swipe. It stays all day without smudging, living up to it’s “tattoo liner” name.

12.) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (Highlighter) $46
Stunning sheen. 

I swear these powders can do no wrong. My sweet fiancé bought me the palette trio of these powders for our anniversary and holy cannoli are they gorgeous! They add just the right amount of luminosity to your face without being glittery or shiny. If you’re like me and have texture on your skin, these powders are for you!

13.) Maybeline Lasting Draw (Colored Eyeliner) $7.99
Courageous color. 

Most of the time I like simple black liner, usually with a wing but when I want to change things up these colored liners are so much fun! They stay beautifully on your waterline and are creamy enough to glide on with ease. The perfect liners to transform a look!

14.) Biore Deep Pore Charcol Cleanser (Skincare) $5.99
A real cool clean. 

This cleanser has a cooling effect on your face that really leaves it feeling clean and refreshed. Even when I was changing diets and medications that usually effect my skin this cleanser kept everything clear and beautiful. You can’t beat it for the price!

15.) Maybeline Better Skin Pressed Powder (Powder) $8.99
Fearlessly flawless. 

Wow! I can’t even believe this is a drugstore powder. It’s very finely milled and glides onto the skin with ease, leaving such a beautiful finish. It’s also not heavy and does not leave the skin looking cakey. Definitely invest in this powder if you’re in the market for one.

16.) Covergirl Supersizer Mascara $6.99
Supersize your lashes. 

Even if you already have long, voluminous lashes like I have been blessed with, this mascara will enchant your lashes. This mascara is magical. I was skeptical because I’m usually a fan of a larger brush and this one is really slim but it really just performs so beautifully.