Current Favorites – March 2017

I’m not very good about doing consistent monthly favorites posts like other beauty content creators out there. Um, my bad? I just don’t try that many things every single month that I’d be able to have a whole list every month. Also, the beginnings and very end of the month are always very busy for me at work, so I don’t always have time to really give it some thought.

Anywho, here’s a few things I have been loving on lately, both in February and so far in March. I got a really nasty cold at the end of February, and some of these were just lifesavers that have helped me with that, since everyone knows being sick does GREAT things for your skin, right? ;) There’s a definite theme with these favorites: hydration. Being sick had me at lizard status.

Complexion-wise, I’ve been trying a lot of different foundations lately. Or rather, re-trying. I spent a lot of time earlier this year going through my foundation stash, which resulted in me wanting to try out a lot of foundations I hadn’t worn in a while. I also tried out the It Cosmetics Confidence in a Compact serum foundation, which I will have a full review on soon. However, when I got sick, my skin around my nose and upper lip was so dry and raw from being rubbed with tissues that no foundation went on comfortably (or attractively, I might add). I found one combination that worked enough to get me through the reptilian stage…

Trusty MAC Studio Fix powder (I wear shades N3 and NW10…wearing N3 in the pic above) and Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer (I wear shade 2, which has been discontinued 😭). I use about a grain of rice size amount of concealer to spot conceal areas I need to, and then just go over everything with a light application of the MAC powder. The powder has a lot of coverage, and it sat okay on my super dry skin without looking (t00) scaly. Then I just wear a really natural looking blush that kind of matches the redness in my nose so it looks like maybe I just have a little color vs. a bright red clown nose. My blush colors of choice are Urban Decay Afterglow blush in Video or Wet ‘n Wild Color Icon blush in Rosé Champagne for something with more of a sheen. I’m wearing Video in the pic above.

Since being sick includes a lot of breathing through your mouth (cute, huh), that means dry lips! I’ve been kind of needing a break from all of the popular matte lips lately anyway, but that whole situation forced me to avoid them. For about a week straight I think I only wore lip balm. My lip balm of choice is Epic Blend. I like their Hemp and More Moisture formulas. For products with a little more color, I’ve been wearing my Vasanti Cosmetics tinted lip balm that I have loved for years. Unfortunately they’ve completely redone the line and I can’t recommend the new ones because I haven’t tried them. I also still use my It Cosmetics lip treatment quite frequently. It’s half gone. Eep!

Skincare-wise I have spent a lot of time slathering myself in moisturizer lately. I’ve been using a combo of Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum topped with It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream. The rich cream combined with the extra hydrating serum have made it just a little easier to turn my lizard skin nose back into a regular person nose. 🐽

Other than that, I’ve really been spending a lot of time just shopping through my stash and trying out a lot of various things, so no other true favorites to report at the moment. But I’m always curious to know what you guys have been loving, so let me know!

Top 10 MAC Products You Should Try (At Least Once!)

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Often I am asked questions like “what’s good from _insert brand here_?” or “is _brand name_ the best?”. I always tell them there’s good and bad products from every brand. But then the follow-up question is what are the good things to try? With those questions in mind, here are my top 10 MAC products you should try.

1. Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty

Modesty is one of those super easy to wear, never fail colors. It’s a my lips but better nude (MAC says “muted neutral pink”). Great for job interviews or to pair with a smoky eye.

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2. Brush #217

The #217 brush is a white goat filbert brush and absolutely one of my most-used makeup brushes. It’s just the perfect size and shape for sweeping color over the lids. I love it so much I have 2. It is a total bitch to keep clean, though!

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3. Fix+

Fix+ is a product beloved by the masses and misunderstood by about as many. It’s a mist charged up with caffeine, glycerin, cucumber, and other skin-friendly ingredients. It works well to refresh your skin throughout the day. I also like to use it to “super charge” my moisturizer – spritz it on and massage the moisturizer in on top of it while your skin is still wet for an extra boost. It can also be used to spray down powder to make it meld with the skin better and faster.

4. Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

The combination of the semi-translucent mineralize blush formula and its buildable nature with the perfectly toned beige of this blush make for the perfect nude cheek. It has a warm gold pearl that goes on soft and pretty– not garish or overly shiny! I’ve yet to see this blush fail anyone.

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5. Pigments

Pigments are just that – loose concentrated pigments. They have a ton of different uses. Vanilla makes a great highlight (for eyes, cheeks, anywhere really). There are tons of great eye color shades. Others can be mixed with lip colors for really cool effects, too. Melon looks great on the cheeks, eyes, or lips. Tan or Naked pigment can even be mixed in with a body lotion for a gleaming, glowy effect on your skin.

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6. Cleanse-Off Oil

Don’t be scurred to put this oil on your face; it’s one of the good guys! Start with dry skin and hands, and massage a couple pumps of this oil cleanser into your skin. The cleansing oil will dissolve the makeup and melt it off as you watch. Then rinse with water to let it emulsify and rinse clean. It’s 100% free of any mineral oil. There’s no residue, either. Yay! Bonus: there’s also Cleanse-Off Oil Tranquil for especially dry or sensitive skin. I want to try that one when I finish my bottle.

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7. Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator

I swear the first time I used the first release of volcanic ash exfoliator, a choir of angels sang at me in the shower. Okay maybe not, but I friggin love this scrub. If you’re having a breakout anywhere on your face or body, it does a great job of scrubbing away while drying up any over zealous oil production and nipping that nasty zit in the bud. But not just for acne sufferers, I use the VAE even when I’m not having skin problems. It’s just a darn good exfoliator too. It gets any yuck outta your pores and leaves your skin baby-butt smooth.

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8. 209 Eyeliner Brush

If you want to draw an uber-fine line with a teensy brush that not only has a fine tip, but holds its shape, you’ll fall in love with the 209. It’s SUPER tiny, but doesn’t splay out or fatten up after you use it. It stays sleek and teensy tiny. If you have smaller eyes and/or just want to be able to do a very thin line, you’ll fall in love.

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9. Fast Response Eye Cream

If you need to de-puff and wake up your eye area in a hurry, Fast Response lives up to its name. It has caffeine for an extra perk-up. If you need an extra boost of moisture to your lips, try Fast Response to plump up lines and moisten lips, too.

10. Eyeshadow in Patina

I hear more buzz about colors like All That Glitters, or Naked Lunch, or a plethora of other colors. But trust me, the one everyone needs to try is Patina. MAC describes Patina as “taupe brown with gold pearl”. TAUPE. PEARL. Duh. You need to try it at least once.

Have you tried any of these MAC products? What’s on your “must-try” list?

June Blog Sale

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Hey guys…I’m having a blog sale…

  • Email sales (at) glossmenagerie dot com to purchase. Please include your paypal email if it is different from the email you use to inquire. :)
  • Once I invoice you, if you do not pay your invoice within 24 hours I will consider you to have changed your mind and go on to the next person!
  • I’m open to haggling, but don’t low-ball me and please don’t haggle unless you’re buying multiple items.
  • only accept Paypal as payment.
  • Shipping within the US is $3.50 for most packages (up to several small items). This covers First Class shipping to you, delivery confirmation, and my materials. Heavier items or large sales will be required to pay actual shipping. If you’re buying a bunch of things and I think a Flat Rate box might be cheaper than actual shipping, I’ll let you know.
  • International buyers are welcome, just ask for a shipping quote.
  • All sales are 100% final. No returns/exchanges.
  • ***I wrap carefully, but you may have your package insured at your cost. Just let me know if you’d like to add insurance.
  • I am not looking to swap any of my sale items at this time. Please do not offer swaps. Thank you.
  • I try my best to take color-accurate photos, but they are only meant to be used as a guide to show the use of an item and its condition. If you are unsure about color, please also do a google image search to ensure you know what you are buying!

 —————————————

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MAC Lustreglasses ($10 each) L to R:

Ensign
Little Vi
Flash Mode
Star Nova
Flusterose
Love Knot

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MAC Lipglasses L to R: ($10 each)

Hush Hush Rose
Cultured
Magnetique
Electric Fuchsia
Boldheart
Song and Dance (lettering wearing off tube) – $9

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MAC Lipglass ($10 each) L to R:

So This Season
Pinking Shear
Lip 65
Secretive
On Display
Perky

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MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks L to R: ($12 each)

Gotta Dash!
Supremely Confident

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MAC Lipstick L to R:

Naturally Eccentric – $20
Ultra Madame – $10
Strayin’ – $30 (SOLD)

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:
Screenqueen – $50 SOLD
All Revealing – $10 SOLD
Brew – $10

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:

Budding Lust – $15
Violetta – $10 (SOLD)
Spice – $10 (SOLD)
Courting Lilac – $15 (SOLD)
Pure Decoration – $10 (SOLD)

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:

Orchidazzle – $15 (SOLD)
Up The Amp – $8
Mlle – $20
Playing Koi – $20
Spice – $8 (SOLD)
Fresh Buzz – $10

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:

Strange Hybrid – $10
Cherish – $7 (SOLD)
High Tea – $7 (SOLD)
Punkin’ – $10
Festivity – $5 (SOLD)
Sandy B – $8 (PENDING)

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:

Saint Germain (marked sample) – $12
London Life – $8 (SOLD)
Sequin – $5 (SOLD)
Half n Half – $7  (SOLD)
Scanty – $5  (SOLD)
Her Fancy – $10

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MAC Lipsticks L to R:

Jubilee – $10
Pomposity – $12
Danse – $10
Creme de la Femme – $12
Hang-Up – $10 (SOLD)
Intricate – $12

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MAC Lipglass L to R ($10 each)

Baby Blooms
Summer Crop
Utterly Discrete
En Pointe
Sonic Vibe
Electro-Lush

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MAC Archies Girl Lipstick ‘Betty Bright’ swatched 1x still with box – $50

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Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks $3 each

Plum
Lilac

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NYX Lipsticks $1 Each — (L to R, back to front)

Sparkling Apricot
Pure Red
Fortune Cookie
Vivaldi
Rose
Lip Du Jour
Uberchic

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Vincent Longo Gel-X Lipstick in Time $10
Vincent Longo SPF 12 Baby Balm in Catalina Rose $8

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Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Infrared – $15

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Inglot Slim Gel Lipstick #50 – $10

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Shu Uemura Lolishine Rouge #333 – $10

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Urban Decay Lipsticks

Back Row L to R: Jailbait ($15), Vinyl ($18), Confession ($18), Peroxide ($18), Lovechild ($18), Midnight Cowboy ($15)

Middle Row L to R: Naked ($15), Rush ($15)

Front Row L to R: Buzzkill ($15), Gash ($18)

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Stila Lip Glaze (large size)

Ulta-mate Pink – $7
Cinnamon – $9
Fig – $9
Pomegranate – $10
Candied Apple – $10
Vanilla – $7
Passion Fruit – $10

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Christian Dior Petal Shine Quint – $35

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MAC EZ Baby Tendertone – $12

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MAC Hot ‘n Saucy Tendertone – $12

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MAC Tendertones (brand new without box)

Softnote – $15
Shush! – $15
Tender Baby – $15

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MAC Lipglass (Liberty of London packaging) in Perennial High Style – BNIB – $25

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MAC Pigments CW from Top:

Spiritualize – $25
Milk – $25
Push The Edge – $12 (half jar)
Antique Green – $25
Violet – $25

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MAC Infatuating Rose Palette – $30

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MAC Intriguing Scarlet Palette – $30

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Urban Decay Deluxe Palette – $15

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Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Palette – $30

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MAC 6 Dashing Lassies Palette – $30

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MAC Lip Glosses L to R:

Dazzleglass Glamour OD – $15
Dazzleglass Via Veneto – $15
Glimmerglass Blackfire – $20
Dazzleglass Date Night – $15
Dazzleglass Bare Necessity – $8
Dazzleglass Steppin Out – $10
Cremesheen Glass Ever So Rich – $20

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MAC Lipglass L to R:

Frozen Dream – $10
Culture Clash – $10
Standing Ovation – $10
Rich n Ripe – $10
Desire – $10 Lull – $10

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MAC Lip Glasses L to R:

Snowscene – $10
Icescape – $10

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Stila Lip Glaze (mini size) (names may not be in the order they are in the photo)

Marmalade – $3
Apricot – $3
Plum Fairy – $5
Raisin – $5
Kitten – $5
Grapefruit – $5
Candy – $5
Starfruit – $5
Cranberry – $5

Or take all the minis for $35!

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Chanel Glossimer – Pagoda – $10
Chanel Glossimer – Equinoxe – $8
Revlon Colorburst Gloss – Peony – $3
Revlon Colorburst Gloss – Strawberry – $3
Buxom gloss mini in Sugar – $3

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MAC Old Style Quad – BNIB – $4

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Stila Trio – unknown name – $10

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Stila Trio – Red Carpet Look – $10

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Laura Mercier palette – includes 2 quads and 2 cake liners – $20

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MAC Warm Palette – $30

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Annabelle trio in Hot Fudge – htf in the USA – $10

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Stila Blanc Palette – $15

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Stila Adventurous in Aspen palette – $8

StilaEmpoweredinPink

Stila Empowered in Pink palette – htf – $15

StilaPrettyinParis

Stila Pretty in Paris palette – $8

StilaRoadtoRadiance

Stila Road to Radiance palette – $10

StilaTrendsettinginTokyo

Stila Trendsetting in Tokyo palette – $12

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or take all of these Stila palettes for $48

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MAC Lilacrush Lip Gelee – $10

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MAC Delicate Crush lip glass mini – $4

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MAC Star Nova lustreglass mini – $4

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MAC Lip Glass Minis

Elle – $4
Pink Poodle – $1 (SOLD)
Cruise Control – $4

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MAC Solar Bits

Black Ore – $25
Impassioned – $25

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MAC Pigment Vials L to R

Gold Dusk – $10
Gold Mode – $10  (SOLD)
Reflects Antique Gold – $10
Gold Stroke – $10

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MAC Shadows

Gesso – $10
Mont Black – $15
Silverthorn – $15

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MAC Shadows

Top Hat – $15
Fertile – $15

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MAC Shadows L to R

Buckwheat – $15 (SOLD)
Rose Blanc – $8

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MAC Shadows Top Right CW:

Clue – $10
Blackberry – $10 (SOLD)
Hypnotizing – $20
Moth Brown – $20

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MAC Shadows CW from Top Right:

Creme de Violet – $9
Very Violet – $10
Of Summer – $10
Scene 1 – $9

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MAC shadows CW from Top:

Greensmoke – $10
Velvet Moss – $15
One Off – $12

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MAC Shadows CW from Top Right

Freshwater – $10
Zonk Bleu! – $15
Moonflower – $12
Birds & Berries – $15 (PENDING)
Star By Night – $12
Ingenue Blue – $15

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NYX Shadows L to R

Luxor – $2 Frosted Lilac – $2

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Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow – Ruthless – $10

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L’Oreal Infallible Eye Shadows L to R

Perpetual Purple – $5 Midnight Blue – $5

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Inglot AMC Shine 36 Eye Shadow – new – $7

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MAC Bloodline Pigment – BNIB – $20

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MAC Mineralize Eye Shadows

Tres Teal – $10 Whim – $10

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MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Duos CW from Top Right:

Sea & Sky – $12
Illusionary/Burning Ambition – $12
Earthly Riches – $12
Family Silver – $12

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MAC Mineralize Blush Duos CW from Top Right:

Love Rock – $15
Happy Together – $15
Light Over Dark – $15
Earth to Earth – $15

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(Left) MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder – $20

(Right) MAC Blush of Youth Beauty Powder – $20

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MAC Mineralize Skin Finish from TOP, CW –

Soft ‘n Gentle – $30 (PENDING)
Cheeky Bronze – $30
Gold Deposit – $30 (PENDING)
Perfect Topping – $25  (SOLD)
Light Flush – $30 (SOLD)

Please email sales (at) glossmenagerie dot com to purchase any of the items listed here. 

The Hunt for Blog October

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Blog? What are this?

Oh, hi.

So I took a break from blogging. Oh sure, I thought about stuff I might blog about, but it didn’t really happen. I didn’t take a break on purpose. That just kinda happened by itself. I just wasn’t feeling it, I guess? I am not going to get in to the nitty gritty of what/why etc. I will just say this — I needed a break! It was deeply personal, and the details I choose to keep between friends.

I took a seasonal job at Bath & Body Works. Working at Bath & Body Works was exhausting at times, but it was also really fun. November in general tends to be a tough month for me, historically, I don’t even know why just…November is a “shit happens” month. December is omgchristmas and January is when trade show season starts. My game plan once I decided that yes, I really am on a break, was to come back this month for the trade show season and ease back in to things.

But then I missed IMATS this year for the first time in like 4 or 5 years. Bummer. I was totally going to go, but I got Martian Death Cold from Mr. Boyfriend and was way too sick to have enjoyed myself. Still a little bitter, because there were lots of people I wanted to see there. However, it’s probably a very good thing I stayed home rather than giving  my fellow blogging colleagues my germs. :) “Hi, nice to finally meet you… *sneeze/hack/sniffle*” just isn’t the best impression to make on a new friend.

BUT! Never fear! ISSE Long Beach is here! And by here, I mean practically literally. Long Beach is basically my back yard, and ISSE is this coming weekend. So I will be going to that this weekend. When you’ve been out of the beauty realm for a couple months, a trade show is a superb way to plunge back in.

So yes, I’m back. Missed you.

September Favorites

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Following in my tradition of posting random awesome pictures on my monthly favorites posts, this month features Obama riding on a unicorn shooting rainbows out of his hands. Seemed pretty legit. Thanks, internet!

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Tips for Organizing Your Makeup and Beauty Products

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Are your cans of hairspray, tubes of lip gloss, bottles of nail polish and powder compacts slowly taking over every inch of your bathroom vanity? This is a common problem in many bathrooms, as there are so many products that we need on a daily basis — but that add up to a lot of clutter.

This post will explain how you can organize your beauty products in a way that makes them easy to access without overwhelming your space. It will also highlight the benefits of keeping your bathroom organized, such as safety, cleanliness, saving time and being prepared for impromptu guests.

The Benefits of Keeping Your Bathroom Organized

Although spending the time to organize your bathroom might seem like a pain for those who are not naturally neatness inclined — there are a number of benefits to keeping your bathroom organized and tidy. First of all, one of the major benefits to a tidy bathroom is that you will be able to find all of your beauty products when you need them. You won’t have to rush around looking for your shimmer eye shadow or your hair brush when you’re late for work. Everything will have a rightful place and you will be able to get ready in record time.

Secondly, another major advantage to keeping your bathroom organized and tidy is that everything will be much cleaner. Leaving makeup compacts lying around or tubes of lotion open makes them susceptible to bacteria, which you will eventually be applying to your face! Keeping everything tidy will ensure that your products are clean and pleasant to use.

Also, when you have a clean and well-organized bathroom you never have to worry about impromptu guests that show up unannounced. You will be able to be the perfect host no matter what and your guests will be able to use your bathroom without having to wade through piles of clutter.

Bathroom Organization Tips

So now that you’re sold on the benefits of organizing your bathroom, here some tips to help you do so in the most effective way possible.

  • Look through a bathroom design website. Find a bathroom vanity with a lot of drawers, cupboards and storage space so that you can store the items that you need.
  • Divide your drawers. At any home décor store you will find drawer dividers that have different sized sections, such as the type that are used for storing cutlery in the kitchen. These are perfect for makeup because you can keep your items such as lip glosses separate from your eye shadows and avoid having everything jumbled together.
  • A hanging organizer on the back of the bathroom door is another brilliant solution to clutter problems. These can usually be found at most home product stores and are quite inexpensive.
  • Clear plastic containers are great for storing items like nail polish. You can see exactly what’s inside without having to dig through the container.
  • If you have a lot of beauty products, you can invest in a tower storage unit to keep everything separate and accessible.
  • Take inspiration from the kitchen and find decorated plates and trays to store your most attractively packaged cosmetics, and other products.
  • Install a small shelf and arrange your nail polish colors on it, according to the hues of the rainbow. It makes for a beautiful design element while keeping the bottles off the counters.
  • Avoid keeping your beauty products in a sunny window sill. Exposure to light and heat over time will cause serious damage.
  • There are many cute designs of toothbrush holders that you can attach to the wall. They could also easily be adapted to become places to keep your makeup brushes and hair brushes.
  • Try using a glass container and filling it with marbles or coffee beans. Stick the makeup brushes in the marbles and they will stand up by themselves, so that the bristles will not be crushed or damaged. This can look quite chic and stylish in the right bathroom.

These are just a few fun ways that you can organize your makeup and beauty products so that your bathroom will be kept neat and tidy.

 

About the Author: Lisa Morgan is a fashion and beauty blogger and mother of two. She is addicted to lip gloss and has a collection of dozens of different colors — all arranged within clear plastic tubs in her bathroom.

Meet Your New Avon Rep!

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That’s right, kiddos…I’m an Avon lady! I first was a mark. rep back in the day… and now mark. has merged with Avon, so I’m an Avon lady!

[Read more…]

Ipsy Glam Bag Subscription Review

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Having been an Ipsy member and Glam Bag subscriber for a few months now I feel like I can accurately review the service on a whole for you all now.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Ipsy’s Glam Bag subscription service, first of all…hi, you must be new to the beauty world. Welcome. Anyway, it’s a monthly subscription where for $10/month you receive a makeup bag (purse size, roughly) with several beauty products in it. Some of the products are samples, some of them are full size. Each participating brand also provides some sort of deal for Ipsy subscribers. There is a lot of opportunity for brands to sponsor giveaways for additional prizes, so many times a participating brand will collaborate with the Ipsy stylists for some kind of challenge or contest, too.

I got my first Glam Bag in April, and I just received my August bag. I also got the bag from March (and I think one or 2 of the products in it) at the Generation Beauty event in June.

The Bags
The bags themselves are cute. Some of them are better than others. Each month’s bag has a theme, and the bag usually goes along with the theme somehow. They’re not super high quality bags by any means – basically the same quality as you’d receive with a Gift With Purchase. I don’t know who the manufacturer of the bags is, but I know they pay them less than $1 per bag (industry insider info there, y’all). They’re fine to just toss in a purse and use for a while, but I do not expect them to hold up over time. My favorite pattern is the one on the May Ipsy bag. Check out Pink Sith’s review for some great pics.

The Products
Duh this is what you all want to know about the most. The selection is vastly improved over the Glam Bags of old (when they used to be MyGlam). Here are some of the products I received in various bags:

  • Benefit Ben-a-Tint sample vial (the standard tiny sample)
  • NYX cream blush (full size)
  • Zoya nail polish (full size)
  • Starlooks lip liner (full size)
  • Michael Todd exfoliating scrub (deluxe sample size)
  • Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick (sample size – and can I just talk about how cute a MINI lipstick is?)
  • Pacifica BB Cream (sample)
  • Selena Gomez collection Nicole By OPI nail polish (full size)
  • Nailtini nail polish (full size)
  • Juice Beauty lip gloss (full size)
  • Sexy Hair Powder Play volumizing powder (sample)
  • Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray thingy (sample)
  • BH Cosmetics Eye Shadow (little mini sample trio – shadows are about the size of a nickel each)
  • J.Cat Beauty glitter cream palette (full size but totally useless stupid product)
  • J.Cat Beauty false lashes (full size obviously – can’t really sample an eyelash lol)
  • Urban Decay eye shadow (full size – this was a special perk for those who are active on the forums, not everyone got this)
  • Be A Bombshell blush (full size)
  • St. Tropez instant bronzing stuff (deluxe sample)
  • Mica Beauty shimmer powder (I got 2 of these in different bags – I think they’re full size)
  • Pixi Lash Booster mascara (sample)
  • Yaby cosmetics concealer pan (full size but Yaby products are teensy)

Some pretty awesome things there. Definitely a lot more actual color cosmetics than other subscriptions I’ve seen/tried. I was STOKED about the full size Zoya polish and UD shadow. To be honest, the items were more hit than miss for me. Yes there were some misses. St Tropez was a huge bomb for me – I never tan. The Yaby concealer was way too dark (they sent me the 2nd to lightest shade even though my style profile says Very Fair skin – ooookay). It turns out even if they’d gotten it right and sent me the lightest shade, it would have still been too dark…but oh well.

The worst product of all was the J.Cat Beauty glitter cream palette. I tossed it in the garbage where it belongs because I was MAD at it, so I can’t really do a review with pictures. But the product wasn’t eye safe. Yet it came packaged with eye shadow applicators. Wtf? The glitter cream itself was lousy because even if you wanted to use it somewhere besides your eyes (like where???), it never sets. It just says moist and creases up somethin’ fierce.

But remember, there was more good than bad. I was mostly pretty satisfied with Ipsy’s selections!

The Service
I never had any issues with my bags at all, so I never had to contact IpsyCare. They always sent me a shipping notification and I received my bags when it said I was going to. Never had any issues with products arriving damaged or anything of that nature. I know there have been shipping issues with other people’s bags, but my personal experience has been nothing but smooth sailing.

Value
You definitely get a good deal with Ipsy. The $10 gets you a cute bag and some usually mostly full size products. The bag with the Zoya polish for example, that polish is $8 alone. The rest of the items in that bag were definitely worth more than $2.

Overall
If you’re considering subscribing to Ipsy, or you’re currently on the wait list (when bags sell out everyone else gets wait listed), go for it. It’s worth subscribing to.

But I Still Canceled
I just canceled my subscription. It wasn’t due to any negative feelings or experiences with the service. Money is tight right now, and Ipsy doesn’t let you skip a month like my favorite subscription service Julep does, so saving the $10 a month is nice.

But more than that, I’m just kind of over it. I’m up to my eyeballs in makeup bags (hello I used to work for a company that makes them lol), and many of the brands that work with Ipsy are also brands I work with as a blogger, so I didn’t really feel I was being exposed to anything new. I’ve tried Pixi, I’ve tried NYX, I’ve tried UD, etc. That doesn’t make me love the products any less. I just felt like it wasn’t really necessary to have this subscription bag in my life anymore.

I’m looking in to taking the $10 I’m saving and putting it towards something else, which I will tell you about once all of the details are finalized.

 

Are any of you Ipsy subscribers? What was your experience like? Do you give Ipsy a thumbs up or thumbs down?

Currently Crushing On…

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Currently Crushing On is just what I’m currently interested in, both beauty-wise and not (because there’s more to me than makeup, haha). What are you currently enamored with? Here are mine…

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Beauty “Crush” Wishlist

I’m totally crushing on these beauty products! Don’t be surprised if I run out and get some for my birthday, haha…

#1. Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette – Totally because of how pretty I’ve seen it look on the lovely Shae and Leesha on Youtube! I’m still not entirely sure that bronzer won’t pull orange on me, but the makeup adventurer in me wants to find out!

#2. China Glaze’ Sunsational Collection – Because uh hi, neon = yay! I missed out on this when it launched, but being that SoCal still has plenty of summery weather left, I think it’s not too late to go neon. I have the Jellies pictured, but the Cremes are of course gorgeous as well. Check out Polish Insomniac’s swatches of the cremes, and jellies.

#3. NARS Light Reflecting Powder (pressed) – I’m a NARS fangirl so when they launch something new I get all hot and bothered. Light Reflecting Powder looks like the answer to my quest to find something very light to set my foundation with that won’t look too mate and dusty on my dry skin, maybe…

#4. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repairing Mask – I’ve already tried this. In fact, I’ve already almost finished my small tube. Hence my infatuation with the big mama size “bowl” of the stuff. Fun tidbit: did you know the design on the packaging is a hand-drawn original created for Macadamia? Pretty cool. ;)

#5. Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara – I know, I know. A $30 mascara?! But so many people regard this as a holy grail mascara that I can’t help but keep it on my radar. I WILL get my paws on this someday, promise.

#6. Tarte Brow Mousse – I’ve never tried a mousse on my brows before, and the photos I’ve seen of this one look pretty nice, so why not? I love brows and I love trying new brow goodies. Even though I have several brow products I love, I can never get enough brow goodness.

#7. Tarte BB Primer Tinted Cream Magical Thingy – I don’t like long product names. But this product looks awesome, and looks like it might actually run light enough for moi! I love that it has broad spectrum SPF 30, too. I have had no luck with finding a sunscreen I really love, so maybe this can help.

People Crushes!

Money is tight, but we still have cable. So one thing I’ve been doing a lot of lately is watching tv. So it is no surprise I’ve found myself totally crushing on the likes of Cat Deely from So You Think You Can Dance – she’s beautiful, funny, and I love her style. How could I not have a total girl crush on this woman?

Outside the realm of girl crushes, oh hi there Liev Schreiber on Ray Donovan. Being avid Dexter fans, Mr. Boyfriend and I were intrigued by the ads for Ray Donovan (it comes on after Dex) and decided to try it out. We really like it so far. Some of that might have to do with the view, though. For me anyway. ;) Michael C. Hall ain’t too hard on the eyes either. But before you start jumping to conclusions that I only have tv crushes on bad boys, my main tv crush is Stephen Amell of Arrow, which isn’t on right now. One thing the CW is really good at is casting hunkalicious men. Wowza!

Tell me your current crushes!

Cosmoprof North America 2013 RECAP

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This past week I attended the biggest (easily) beauty trade show in my usual lineup: Cosmoprof North America. Literally hundreds of vendors from all over the world gathered together to meet with buyers, educators, salon distributors, and of course – ME. [Read more…]