Just Lipstick, Please

Hey! It's been a while, I know. I hope the start of 2017 has treated you well, in spite of all the changes seen and events endured as of late!

I just wanted to share with you how much I love lippies. Of all the makeup products I own, the vast majority of them are some type of lip product: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms, lip liners, lip scrubs...you name it, I probably have it!

What I have come to realize is this: While it's fun to explore the latest beauty trends, including these hybrid lip products (i.e., liquid lipsticks) and various formulas (e.g., matte vs. satin), I will take a regular ole' tube of lipstick on any given day! Sometimes I don't want to fuss with an oddly-shaped applicator, and I certainly don't want to have to nurse the product on my lips all day...just give me a decent tube of lipstick, in a standard formula, with pretty packaging, that complements my skin tone. I will also take a sheer to moderately opaque gloss as a topper (and to soothe my lips midday). BareMinerals' Marvelous Moxies are perfect for this, but could also be worn alone if desired!

Not only have I recently observed a shift in my desire to wear just plain old lipstick, but also a transition in the shades I wear (most recently from browns and nudes to pinks and reds). Some of my favorite brands that meet the need for "just lipstick" include Wet 'n Wild, Maybelline, MAC and Nars. What are your favorite brands and shades? 

Play! by Sephora - April

Hey...TGIF! The weekend is reason enough to celebrate. 

I signed up for the Play! by Sephora subscription last year after reading blog posts about it.  I jumped at the opportunity when I got an email towards the end of March inviting me to join. I have subscribed to Ipsy and Beauty Box 5 in the past...while I looked forward to a new box each month, I found that the product types started to become redundant and the brands less exciting. I am hoping Play! by Sephora will cure the lackluster let-down that other beauty subscriptions become after a while. I enjoy shopping at Sephora and trying the variety of brands and products the store offers.

Here is a look at the April box:

box top

front of pamphlet featuring the month's theme "The It Crowd"
inside contains information about each product

Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil, Sephora Collection Colorful Cheek Ink Gel in Peony, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien
Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment, Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream

Also in the box: an eau de parfum sample of Derek Lam's 2AM Kiss from the 10 Crosby collection

Sephora sends emails featuring sneak peeks of the month's box items, an unboxing video, and an alert when the box is on its way. I am pleased with the variety of products that were included in April's box. I actually had a sample of the NARS Satin Lip Pencil (I got it from Sephora last year as part of my birthday gift), but because I like that shade, I am not mad about having an extra as back up. I have not had a chance to play with everything yet, but I have enjoyed the items I have managed to incorporate into my daily beauty routine so far. For $10 per month, I'd say this looks like a promising subscription and I am looking forward to next month's box. Stay tuned for a post on which products I enjoyed...some may make a list of favorites!

Haulin'

Happy Hump Day! I'm happy to be one more day closer to the weekend, as I cherish my personal time to recharge and do as I please.

I have made a few successive purchases over the past month or so from various shops that have resulted in a decent haul; I thought I would share a quick look at those products as I continue to test them out!

From rear to front, left to right: 
theBalm's In theBalm of Your Hand palette (ModCloth); Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel (Sephora), MAC's Dej Loaf lipglass (online exclusive - MAC Cosmetics), MAC's So Select (exclusive to MAC Select members) and Cosmo lipsticks (both from MAC Cosmetics), BeautyBlender beauty.blusher (Sephora);
Tom Ford Beauty's eye color duo in Ripe Plum (CCO), MAC's lipliners in Plum and Spice (MAC Cosmetics), Urban Decay's Brow Beater brow pencil in Neutral Brown (Sephora), Too Faced Peanut Butter palette (Ulta), Sephora Collection's Solid Sponge & Brush Cleaner (Sephora)  

bareMinerals Divine Decadence 8-pc Spring Set (QVC)

top to bottom, left to right:
Absolute Indulgence Blush in Ginger Spice, Baseline Silky Cream Eyeliner in Rich Black;
  Diamond Light Mineral Veil Finishing Power, Shadow Quickie Cream Eyeshadow in Topaz, Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Big Tease, Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara Petite Precision Brush in Intense Black, Smoky Smudger Brush, Feather Light Brush

Stock photo from QVC: Sorry I forgot to take the lids off of some products so you could see them better!

These are some sample-sized products I managed to snag with some of the above purchases.
Top to bottom, left to right:
Clinique High Impact mascara, MAC False Lashes Mascara, MAC Prep & Prime Skin, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Liar (full-sized, forget to include in earlier pic), Clinique lipstick in Matte Magenta (full-sized, got as a bonus for counter purchase), Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme Lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon liner in Blacquer;
Clinique mini shadows (Mink, Seashell) & blush (Smoldering Plum), Too Faced Love Flush blush in Love Hangover, Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer

That's all for now. That's enough, right? I think I am good for at least a little while. I will you keep you posted on how some of these work out...a few may end up on my list of favorites!