February Birchbox

Couture La La Perfume

This is a brand new perfume from Juicy Couture called La La. Of all the perfume samples I get, this is one of my favorites. It's up there with Kate Spade Twirl. 

theBalm MaryLou Manizer (highlighter)

I already own a full size of this product and I LOVE it. The full size compact is travel-friendly, but I can't complain about being able to sneak this little guy into my purse. More beauty products in my purse... just what I need. 

Tigi Flexible Hairspray

 Don't think I've ever tried a Tigi product before. And I just ran out of my travel size Tresemme hairspray so I'll be giving this a shot. 

Dr. Lipp Lip Balm

Was curious about this product so I looked it up online to see what this is all about. The Birchbox site says: "Packed with all-natural ingredients, the thick, creamy formula is clinically proven to repair rough, flaky lips in just one hour." One hour, huh? Have not tried this yet, but I'm going to put it to the test.

Ghirardelli Chocolate (the extra)

I love chocolate. Thanks Birchbox. 

Overall, it's a good box. But, not gonna lie, I've been eyeing other subscription services and thinking about trying more. Ahhh somebody stop me! My "sample drawer" is already out of control. So, just curious if anyone else subscribes to other beauty or lifestyle boxes and how satisfied you are with them. I've been getting Birchbox for well over a year, and I'm happy with them. For $10, I don't see myself ever cancelling. But we do see a lot of the same brands, so I'm interested to see how different other subscription services are. Let me know if you have experience with other boxes! 

xo, Mal

moisturizing at night

If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only bring three items, one of those would include moisturizer. I cannot live without it. Okay, maybe I could live, but I wouldn't be very happy without it! 

Moisturizing your face at night is SO important. Even if you have oily skin like me. Moisturizer helps your skin to not over-produce oils during your sleep. It also helps prevent wrinkles.... kind of a big deal! My night time skincare routine always includes moisturizer. 

I like the Mary Kay Timewise moisturizer. It's very lightweight and is specifically targeted to prevent aging. It's never too early to start preventing those wrinkles! 

Two other areas I make sure to moisturize are my lips and hands. The Smith's Rosebud Salve is amazing for the lips. It does  have a somewhat strong rose scent. It took me a while to get used to, but now I don't even notice it. It's one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever used. For hands, I like the Soap & Glory Hand Food. It's moisturizing and has a nice scent. You can find these at Sephora. 

I keep my lip balm and hand lotion in my night stand for easy access. If you aren't already including moisturizer in your night time skincare routine, I highly recommend it! 

What is your favorite moisturizer? 

Do you use lip balm and hand cream at night, too? 

lip stains: tarte vs. revlon

I'm not much of a lip stain girl. The bold lip stains that I have tried made me look like Edward Cullen just took a bite of Bella for dinner. Point is- after cringing at myself in the mirror after two different attempts of trying lip stains, I've kinda given up on this product. 

Some things just weren't made for everyone, right?

My personal preference are lip balms, tinted lip balms, and lipstick.  Only problem is, I often always forget to re-apply throughout the day, thus just looking plain jane. Then I started becoming really interested in these crayon-shaped "lip balm stains" popping up everywhere that claim to be a moisturizing lip stain offering a glossy finish, increased moisture, and long-lasting color. First by Clinique and Tarte, and now Revlon. 

The Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Stains have been around for a while. They claim to provide hours of moisture and lasting color on your lips and they "naturally increase the skin's water content for a 'plumped up' appearance." Ingredients include Jojoba oil, Vitamins C and E, and Peppermint oil. And as with any Tarte product, they are formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, and sulfate. 

Tarte LipSurgence retails for $24.00 and there are seven shades to choose from. 

This year, Revlon released the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, an obvious attempt at putting a similar product to out-do the Tarte version for a third of the cost.

These can cost $7.00 - $9.00 and they come in twelve shades. 

What is really great about both products is the packaging. 

Both have a retractable crayon, so a sharpener is not needed.

[L to R: Tarte Amused, Revlon Sweetheart, Revlon Cherish]

How They Apply

Tarte Amused is a darker coral/red that applies more sheer than you would expect. The label says "natural lip stain" so the fact that it applies more sheer makes sense. This glides on so smoothly. It really feels moisturizing and has a strong mint scent.

The Revlon stains apply more true to color. I find that the Sweetheart applies very opaque and Cherish is a little more sheer, but both are "what you see is what you get." These also have a strong minty scent. They apply a little less smooth than the one by Tarte. 

[Tarte Amused, Revlon Sweetheart, Revlon Cherish]

Which one lasts longer and is a truly a stain?

I find that the Revlon outlasts the Tarte. 

So which is worth the purchase?

It depends on your preference. 

If you prefer a more "natural" lip stain, with very moisturizing ingredients, and have a little more money to spend, I would go with Tarte. 

If you are looking for a long-lasting "stain" with a wide range of colors to choose from and don't want to spend that much, go with Revlon. 

They are both great! For me, it comes down to price. I would have to choose Revlon! 

Do you own these? 

Which do you think you prefer? 

Have you ever tried the Clinique version (chubby sticks)? 

I'm curious! 

budget beauty buy: maybelline babylips

Any chapstick addicts here? I’m not starting any chapstickers anonymous groups or anything, but I can support your habit a little more. I don’t know about you, but even if I am wearing lipstick for the day, I first have to apply some form of "moisturization" (yep made that one up). My lips are constantly dry, cracked, and full of fine lines; thanks to good ole Accutane from a couple of years ago.

I love a good lip balm and they are crucial to keeping my lips moisturized throughout the day. Sometimes I just want a little color, too. And it’s a bonus when a beauty product can do two things in one. That’s where Maybelline Babylips come in. Maybelline released these some time last year. They are said to have “lip renew formula and 8 hour hydration for visibly renewed lips in 4 weeks.”

I can’t vouch for the “8 hour hydration.” The color will fade off throughout the day after eating, drinking, talk, etc. But, what I love about these are the initial hydrating feel, the super pigmented and glossy color, and the fact that you can still see color a few hours after application. You might be able to get away with only re-applying twice throughout the day.

This is the color Pink Punch. First application leaves a nice glossy pink finish. And it is a buildable color. You can leave it a light pink, or build it up to a bolder bright pink. It also smells amazing, has a nice strawberry/fruit scent. I keep this in my purse at all times; it's perfect for on-the-go color and hydration.

image: makeupgeek

These retail for $3.99 and you can buy them wherever Maybelline is sold. 
These come in six shades—Quenched (clear), Peppermint (clear), Cherry Me (dark red), Grape Vine (burgundy), Pink Punch (above), and Peach Kiss (nude). 
I own Pink Punch and Peach Kiss and I love them both! 

I’m going to try posting once every couple weeks about a great budget-friendly beauty product.  If your budget only allows you to buy from the drugstore, this topic is for you! 
Stay tuned for more!

What’s your favorite budget beauty product?

august 2012 favorites

Another month down, another favorites post.
This month I re-discovered some old favorites and fell in love with some recent finds.
Here are my standout products for August 2012...

Skin 

Simple Hydrating Moisturizer

The Simple brand is new to the US this year, but has been very popular in the UK for quite some time. I’ve been looking for a daytime moisturizer that is very light since I have oily skin. I use just a little bit daily, and I think my skin has loved it. No breakouts so far!

Hair

Aveda Volumizing Tonic

An oldie but a goodie. I’m a loyal fan of Aveda products, but have been keeping this buried in the back. Started re-using it and I am now on a mission to finish this. I spray my roots with this when my hair is wet, put it in a pony while I do my makeup, and then blow dry. Instant volume and it smells amazing.

Nail polish

Orly - Rage

You can read my recent blog post here about why I love this polish.
Great polish for the fall!

Urban Outfitters - After Hours

I bought this glitter polish because it reminded me of OPI Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry collection. Except this one looked like it had finer glitter that would be easy to work with. Loved the way this applied and it stayed on for over a week as an accent nail.
Makes me want to try more UO polishes.

Essie - Lady Like

Such a classic. When I bought After Hours by UO, I had no clue what I would try pairing it with first. As soon as I saw this one in my drawer, it was a no-brainer.
I feel like these two polishes were made for each other.
To see how I wore Lady Like and After Hours together—here is my Instagram photo.

Tools

Real Techniques Brushes: Buffing and Shader

Bought these brushes recently at Ulta. I like using the buffing brush for contouring with bronzer; and the shader brush is perfect for applying eye shadow. I have a hard time finding the perfect eye shadow brushes because my eyes are small, and most shader brushes are too big for me. This one is perfect.

Tarte Eyelash Curler

My trusty Revlon eyelash curler finally got kicked to the curb. I needed to upgrade to something that was gentler and had better grip. This one by Tarte does not disappoint. And it came with a sample size of my favorite Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. That may have swayed my decision just a little bit.

Makeup

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold and Bad to the Bronze
Don’t want to beat a dead horse since I just blogged about these. But holy moly—these are seriously amazing. Bad to the Bronze has been with me since these first came out, but of course I had to pull it out after buying some new colors. I’ve been wearing Bold Gold literally every day. I went tailgating in 100 degree weather, went to the LSU football game, and went out afterward with friends-- and this did not budge at all by the end of the night. I highly recommend that you check these out if you haven’t already!

Wet N Wild Blush in Pearlescent Pink

Wet n Wild does a lot of things right that many people still don’t know about. Nail polish, eyeshadow-- and definitely blush. Their blushes are SO pigmented and they last all day. This one is a gorgeous pink with a slight golden shimmer.
These retail for $2.99—a freaking steal.

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm
Got this as the Sephora birthday gift. Good thing it was free because I would not spend $22 on a lip balm. But this is so moisturizing and I can totally see why the price tag is so high. It feels like butter on your lips and it is one of the best lip balms I have ever used.

Have you been reaching for any of these same products?

What else have you been loving lately?