March 2016 Boxycharm Unboxing!

I skipped last months Boxycharm, but with a few sneak peaks into this months box, I just HAD to get it! Boxycharm usually gives you 4-5 full size products for only $21 a month, and it's definitely one of the better value subscription boxes out there.

Let's take a look!

I was so excited to see that we got not one, but TWO Makeup Geek Shadows!!! I've always wanted to try Makeup Geek shadows, and now I finally get to. I got the shades Cupcake, a matte mauve pink, and Shimma Shimma, a shimmery champagne. Both are beautiful, have great pigmentation and seem really blendable. Cupcake would make an excellent transition shade in the crease and Shimma Shimma would be good for inner corner, brow bone highlight and all over lid pop of shimmer. 

I also got a Luxie 512 Small Contour Brush! This brush is sooo soft and one of the prettiest brushes I own. I probably won't use it for contour because I like using bigger brushes, but I'll probably use it for blending out concealer or even using it to highlight.

I also got a full size Chella Tantalizing Taupe Eyebrow Pencil, Clarks Botanicals Anti-Puff Eye Cream, and a travel size Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris Perfume. 

I'm meh about the perfume just because I'm so tired of getting it, but at least it's a decent size and smells nice, like a light mix of citrus and floral. I've gotten Chella products before and I've liked them, so I'm stoked about this pencil! The color is a good match for me and the formula is on the waxy side, but I prefer that over too creamy a formula. 

I'm real excited for the eye cream though! It's a giant size, has a pump and seems like it'll be super nourishing and moisturizing without being too thick. Allergy season is upon us, and if it combats puffy eyes like it's supposed to this will definitely come in handy!

Like I've said, Boxycharm is probably my favorite, and I'm loving almost everything I got this month (minus the perfume).

What did you love in your Boxycharm this month?

xoxo

Jessica

Ipsy March 2016 Unboxing! #HelloSpring

Hey guys! As you may have noticed (or not), I kind of took a 2 week break from posting. Sometimes, life gets in the way and I was having a hard time finding time just to sit down and write a post, let alone take decent photos with so many thing happening in my life at once. That in combination with feeling pretty uninspired, I decided to take a little break. Hopefully I can get back into my groove of posting at least on the weekends.

Anyways, let's see what I got in my Ipsy bag this month!

It certainly is starting to feel like spring here in the PNW, and this spring themed bag is super adorable. I was so excited to see this Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo in Rose Gold. One half is a gorgeous rose gold blush with a slight sheen, and the other side is a champagne highlight with amazing pigmentation. 

The blush however, I could not for the life of me get it to show up on my skin; and I have pretty light skin. Also, I use a pretty big blush brush so it was hard to fit my brush into the pan to just pick up the blush. So the blush is a little disappointing for me, but the highlight is on point. If you swirl them together, it's a beautiful rose gold highlight that I also enjoy! 

I'm not a fan of eyeliners in my boxes/bags because I get so many, but this Skone Insanely Intense Tattoo Liner in Jet Black is a pretty nice felt tip liner! I rarely wear eyeliner, but when I do I prefer felt tip ones to draw out my wing if I'm doing winged liner, and then fill it in with gel. It's super black and seems easy to work with, so I'm excited to try it out! 

swatches on swatches on swatches

I wish we got fluffier eye shadow brushes in our bags instead of your typical packing on color brushes, like this Beau Gachis Paris Eye Shadow Brush. This brush though is insanely soft, which actually surprised me because it kind of looks like a cheaper brush. I might end up using this after all, because I was thinking about passing this on to my sister.

The NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Pink Lust I will be passing on however because hot ass pink magenta is not my color. The formula seems nice and creamy, but I prefer reds, corals and deeper shades for my bold lip choices. I might have to pick up a different shade on my own to really give this formula a try.

Lastly, I got another Marc Anthony product, this time the Argan Oil of Morocco 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Out Smoothing Cream. What a name! I usually enjoy Marc Anthony products, so I'll start incorporating this into my hair routine before I blow dry to help tame my frizz and report back.

That's it for Ipsy! Not too bad, but I wasn't super thrilled with the products, mainly the lip color and disappointed with the blush pigmentation. 

What did you get this month?

xoxo

Jessica

Shadows To Make Your Eyes Standout

Choosing eye shadows based on eye color isn't anything new, and they even sell specially designed shadow quads and palettes for specific eye color. There is something magical when certain shadows are paired with the right eye color and makes your eyes the center of attention. Here are a few 'secret weapon' shades to make your eyes pop based on your eye color!

Secret Weapon for Brown Eyes: Purples, Emerald Green, and Cobalt Blue

Brown eyes are neutral, so us brown eyed gals can pretty much wear anything! But vibrant jewel toned shadows like purples, cobalt blue, and emerald green look especially gorgeous and make those brown eyes standout. Golds, pinks and golds also pair well!

I have a bunch of single shadows from Coastal Scents in a palette that are pretty much a brown eyed girls dream, complete with browns, purples, copper and a pop of green. I also love the Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Shadow Pencil in Endless Emerald and Prolong Purple because they have great pigmentation, staying power and lovely colors. I also have a sample of the Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Electric Blue, which adds a pop of color to the waterline and is creamy enough to put all over the lid. 

Secret Weapon for Green Eyes: Pinks, Mauve, Plums, Rose Gold

Want to make your green eyes be the center of attention? Wear pink shades, mauve and rose golds shades to compliment your green tones! The combination creates a soft, romantic look, and these shades don't overshadow green eyes. The Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette ( a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3) has a bunch of beautiful pink, mauve and rose gold tones. The L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Amber Rush would look stunning all over the lid for a metallic sheen! Earthy brown shadows also compliment green eyes nicely.

Secret Weapon for Blue Eyes: Reds, Oranges and Coppers

I am so jealous of you blue eyed girls because reds, oranges and coppers look absolutely STUNNING! The opposite of blue on the color wheel is orange, so it makes sense that these shades would compliment blue eyes. The Lime Crime Venus: The Grunge Palette is practically made for blue eyes with rusty reds, maroons, oranges and pinks. NYX Prismatic Shadow in Fireball is an amazing metallic red, and Colour Pop Shadow in Game Face is an amazing orange copper (totally forgot to include it in pictures). I love these types of shades, but reds are hard to pull of with my brown eyes without looking like I have pink eye.

Secret Weapon for Hazel Eyes: Plums, Purples, Browns

Whenever I see my hazel friend wear plum shadow, I cannot stop staring at her eyes. The plum purples emphasizes the green tones in hazel eyes so well! A, absolutely gorgeous combo. The Coastal Scents Revealed 2 also comes in handy because it not only has pinks and mauves, but a few deeper plum shades which the Naked 3 doesn't have. This Luxie Single Shadow in No. 290 is plum brown that would also pair well with hazel eyes! 

This isn't an exhaustive list obviously, but just a few shades that I find pair well with each eye color. But remember, these are not hard rules but suggestions. If you have blue eyes and want to wear green shadow, or have brown eyes and want to wear red shadow, go for it! If you like it, that's all that matters. :)

What are your favorite shadow/eye color combos?

xoxo

Jessica 

Products I've Used Up #4

Daaaammmnn Jessica... back at it again with another empties post! That #DamnDaniel video just lights up my life in a ridiculous, stupid way. Anyways, I have another round of products that I finished this month to share with you all and share my thoughts on them!

Enjoy!

I finished 2 hair staples, my John Freida Frizz Ease Dream Curls Spray and Macadamia Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner. I'm always repurchasing these two! The curl spray helps define my looser waves/curls and protects from heat at the same time. The cleansing conditioner is great for in between shampoos, is very moisturizing and cuts down on blow dry time!

The Catwalk Curlesque Strong Hold Mousse I got on sale at Ulta for, I'm not kidding, $1.97 when it's usually $19. My mind was blown, and kept asking the lady at the register if that was right, and surely it was. It's a pretty good, strong hold mousse that locks in my curls, but I probably won't repurchase again since it's usually so expensive. As for the Silk 18 Conditioner from Maple Holistics, I was sent it for my consideration and it's just an okay condition with nothing super special about it.

On to makeup!

My tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara is pretty much gone, so I decided to just toss it. I like it, but I bought it because it was half price online during a sale. I don't like spending more than $10 on mascara since the drugstore does it so well. Sadly, my tiny sample of benefit Gimme Brow is empty. I loved this product for filling in my brows quickly because of the tiny brush and fiber formula. it definitely is on my wishlist to get the full size! I also finished my Nyx Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe, which I've really loved up until discovering the L'Oreal Brow Stylist. It's more on the waxy side and comes in a variety of shades. If I can't find the Brow Stylist, this is my second favorite.

 Lastly, I squeezed out the rest of my L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in 102 Shell Beige, an oily skin girls dream. It's got great coverage and helps my skin look flawless ALL DAY with minimal shine. However, their color selection is not that great for lighter skinned gals because the lightest shades are pretty pink toned that look a tiny bit off with my yellow/neutral undertones. But I do love this foundation regardless and it mixes well with other foundations.

What did you use up this month?

xoxo

Jessica