Category Archives: First Impressions

My Ulta 20% off purchases reviewed

Posted on by Lyn
2

Yesterday, I ventured into the west side Ulta to make some returns I’d been sitting on since their 20% off sale. I had been holding out because 1) I was still trying some things 2) I was afraid of holiday crowds 3) I’m a horrible procrastinator.

But I finally got it all together and went to make the return–only to find I was 2 days past the 60 day deadline. They still let me do it, but it was an ordeal. So note to self–and to you–get on those returns!

So what made the cut and what didn’t? Here you go!

NYX Lid Lingerie Eye Tint in Rose Pearl

First off–these are $6.99 without the 20% off–so it’s not a big investment. I just wish I liked it more. I might try other color and see if it’s better but I don’t really like the Rose Pearl and I kinda forgot I even had it until just now.

NYX The Skinny Mascara

Yeah–this is good. I use it on my lower lashes and it’s the right size. And it’s cheap. A good buy.

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First Impressions: my Sephora 20% off purchases

Posted on by Lyn
2

So yeah–I went a little nuts with the Sephora sales–but I knew I would be returning some things. And I already have–with more to go back soon.

Here are my first impressions on some of the products I’ve tried:

The Good

photo courtesy of us.koraorganics.com

KORA Organics, Noni Glow Face Oil: I was probably the most skeptical of this one since the recommendation was from a supermodel in a Vogue video, but so far, I really like it. What’s interesting about this product is you have to pat it into your skin, not apply it like a lotion. I have put it on in the morning and had it on it’s own with just some under eye concealer, I’ve worn it under foundation and used it as a nighttime product and it’s been really nice in all applications. I think I’ll keep her.

photo courtesy of natashadenona.com

Natasha DenonaChroma Crystal Top Coat, Grey Brown: I’m wearing this today! I really like it. I’ve only worn it on it’s own but its a really nice look. Kinda sheer and sparkly with a hint of color. I tried to photograph myself wearing it and it’s hard to see it, so I can’t show you it that way, but trust that it’s a new one-stop staple for me.

photo courtesy of m.sephora.com

Smashbox, Be Legendary Liquid Lip Vault: Seriously, I really don’t need more liquid lipsticks! But these are a really nice addition to my vault. I haven’t worn all the colors and I’m not even sure when I’d wear some of them *looking at you, blue* but the formula is smooth and they are very wearable. They aren’t my favorites, but they are good and if you are looking to expand into some new shades, this box is a good value, especially with a mix of regular and metallic shades that aside from the blue are very friendly.

all urban decay liner photos courtesy of urbandecay.com

Urban Decay, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, Torch and Alkaline: I’m really a sucker for UD’s liners and I’m really happy with adding these colors to my collection. They are a little strange and won’t be for everyone, but I’ve really liked wearing them. It definitely creates a different look, but I’ve been down for that lately.

Dr. Jart+Dermaclear™ Trans-Foam Clay Trio: Full disclosure–I’ve only tried one of the three–but I really liked it! I often will throw a mask on in the shower, but I’m aware that it’s neither the right condition for the mask nor the right length of time. I just need that extra something, something some mornings. These are masks that you only leave on for a few minutes–and then with water–it becomes a foaming face cleanser. It’s pretty nifty. Kinda goofy, but so far I’m in.

The Bad

photo courtesy of narscosmetics.com

NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment, Rock with You: What a mess! I put this on once and knew it was going back. It dries really fast making it super hard to apply. It feels like your lips are being pulled into your face from the inside and the color was very patchy. Perhaps this color was just not a good one to try, but I won’t be finding out by getting others. It has been returned.

photo courtesy of guerlain.com

Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Aqua Nude Foundation, 02N Light:I’m so glad this was as bad as it was so I wouldn’t fall in love with another ridiculously priced foundation by this brand. This is my favorite foundation and I wanted to repurchase it because I’m nearly empty, but it was sold out. So I decided to try this instead and it’s not good. I’ll leave it at that. You shouldn’t even try these crazy expensive brands anyway! (LYN! i’m talking to you!!!!!) It has been returned.

Urban Decay, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, Corrupt: The description for this one was intriguing “dark metallic reddish brown shimmer with silver micro-sparkle ” but it’s just brown with some barely visible shimmer. So this one is going back.

photo courtesy of peterthomasroth.com

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber De-Tox™ Hydra-Gel Eye Patches: I like a lot of products in the line, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Nope. Expensive. They slide all over your face. And it didn’t seem to really do anything. They will go back.

The Indifferent

photo courtesy of fentybeauty.com

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Match Stix Trio in Light: I really wanted to try these and the packaging is really cool. But I already have plenty of highlighters I don’t use, bronzers that are go-tos and concealors I love that I didn’t see myself reaching for these enough to justify the price. The products are good though and if you are in the market for a travel friendly trio like this, I think it’s a nice product. Just not for me, right now. It went back.

The Bizarre

photos courtesy of patmcgrath.com

seriously though–how beautiful is this color?!

PAT McGRATH LABS LuxeTrance™ Lipstickin She’s Heaven: Well this one is a serious disappointment because the tube came broke! I can’t spin the lipstick up, so I haven’t tried it at all! I’m hoping I can return it and get one at the same discounted price, because I really want to try it! (but you need to stop trying crazy expensive products, lyn!!!!!)

There you have it! My first impressions on the products I bought from Sephora. I’ll update soon with the products I got from Ulta.

How are you’re 20% off purchases working out for you? Any regrets on items you didn’t get? Things you love? Products that are going back? Let us know below!

I bought everything myself and have been happy to get money back on the returned items!

 

Empties: sleeping masks, hair products and fancy face creams

Posted on by Lyn
1

I’ve used up a bunch of stuff–what did I think, would I repurchase, should you get on board?–let’s find out together!

Sudzz, AquaFix® Hydrating Conditioner: I’ve been using this conditioner for years! I’ve tried other samples and things but I always come back. I get it from my salon, coleighco.com It has already been repurchased.

DevaCurl, WAVE MAKER™ Touchable Texture Whip: I kinda liked this stuff. It was easy to pack when I traveled for work and was really light but kept my hair manageable. I haven’t repurchased yet because I have a ton of hair stuff right now. But I would pick it up again.

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Glossier Body Hero: first impressions

Posted on by Pamela
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photo from glossier.com

 

Well, of course my favorite company would come out with brand new products in the middle of my self imposed spending freeze.  And not just any new products – body products!  Taking care of my skin is a bit of a passion for me, which is not limited to just my face.  Since I’m in love with Glossier, naturally I ordered these the day they were released.  The Glossier Body Hero Duo is made up of the Daily Oil Wash, an oil cleanser for body and the Daily Perfecting Cream, a daily body moisturizer.  I’ve only had the chance to use both of these products twice (of course I couldn’t wait til I used my current products up!), and here’s what I think of them so far:

Daily Oil Wash

It smells sooooo good!  It’s a subtle sweet orange blossom scent, that’s really refreshing in the morning.  The consistency is basically the same as the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, which I love and have written about in a previous post.  I’ve used it directly on my body, the recommended method, which allows the formula to lather up when it mixes with water, and I’ve also used it on my shower loofah, which I think is my preference…. I’m not sure if the benefits to the skin are different using it that way, but it forces me to use way less product –  this is coming from a shower gel over user – I go through shower gels so quickly!

Daily Perfecting Cream

The body cream has the same scent, which again, it’s so good!  And it remains subtle enough that as the day goes on it eventually fades almost completely, which is good as I found it doesn’t over power or clash with any perfume I might decided to wear.  It has light reflecting particles in it, which gives skin an immediate glow, but not in a weird glittery way like the Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum cream, which I could probably write another post about entirely.  The Bum Bum cream is straight up glittery and that annoys me almost as much as its overpowering scent – it’s a good scent, but that’s all I can smell when I wear it….. I could even smell it on my sofa for a few days one time because I sat down too soon after applying it.  Anyway, I digress…. back to the Daily Perfecting Cream.  I would say it’s a medium weight cream that sinks in almost immediately, so getting your skinny jeans on after isn’t a problem.  I’m not sure it’ll be hydrating enough for me going into the colder months, but for now in this transition to fall, it’s good – I wish I had it all summer – it’s probably perfect for the summer months.  My current go to is usually a Body Shop Body Butter, especially in winter.

Both are 8.4 fl. oz. which I feel like is a pretty decent size.  The packaging is super pretty and functional.  And right now you can get them both, as a duo, for $35.00, which is 5 bucks less then if you bought them individually.

And that’s my hot take on the new Glossier body products.  I really like them!  You probably will too, and remember you can get 10% off your purchase with this code!

*As always, purchased with my own money….. that I’m not supposed to be spending on product.

 

 

First impressions–the Subculture palette–is it really that bad?

Posted on by Lyn
3

I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills eye shadows so much. Not only is Modern Renaissance my must have pick from the past year, I’ve been slowly building a pretty nice collection of ABH single shadows to fill my Tarte magnetic palette.

So like everyone else–I was so excited when Subculture launched.

I posted this photo on our Facebook page–and number of the comments went right to the Subculture palette hiding in the mix–so I know I’m not alone.

And why shouldn’t we be curious?! ABH has a stellar track record on shadows.

One of the main selling points for me is the palette features my new eye shadow color obsession: green.

I have never liked my eye color, swampwater hazel. But over the past year, I’ve found that if I go with a green based smokey eye, I can almost make them pull more green than orangey weird.

In fact, one of the first shadows I picked up for my magnet palette was ABH’s Emerald single shadow. It’s a beauty.  The only downside is it’s a shimmer and I tend to prefer matte shadows.

Subculture features three green based shades: Untamed – Ultra-matte tarnished green, Axis – Ultra-matte blue-green, Destiny – Ultra-matte sage green

Not only green, but matte.

But they are also unusable.

I’ve watched a few YouTube reviews of this palette and they basically all eviscerate it. Is it really that bad?

Yeah. It kind of is.

One of the main critiques is how powdery or soft the shadows are–I’ve seen examples of shadows falling apart in the pan when they put a brush in them.

I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. Mine isn’t quite so bad.

But they are still a mess.

I took this photo this morning. I’ve used it three times since I traveled with it last week and I cleaned it up when I had it at the hotel.

So that’s how much powder kicks up when you use it.

residue from tapping the powder off my brush. and i use a light hand.

And the powder isn’t just messy–it’s hard to control when you try to use it.

I actually really like two of the orange/peach transition colors: Dawn and Roxy. The problem is to apply them, I have to carefully tap my brush in the pan, then tap off the excess powder, then rub off more of the powder on the back of my hand and then actually put it on my eyes.

That’s too many steps. And those are the easiest shades to use.

The green ones DO. NOT. MOVE. I just can’t get them to blend. So even if I set what I think is a decent wash to my lids, when I go in with one of the green shadows to add some dimension in the corner, it’s impossible to blend. So the shadow just sits there and looks like you’ve been punched in the eyes and the bruise is starting to fade.

I should’ve taken a picture of yesterday’s look. I really tried. And it took way more time than I’m willing to spend in the mornings on eye shadow. But it was still a mess.

In fact, it was so bad, I took this picture of myself last night after I washed my face. And there is still green shadow hanging out around my rims. It does not move!

Today, I decided to use the color All Star, a reddish plum color. It was a little better than the greens.

Not as much fall out, and I was able to control it a little better.

I couldn’t get good light for a decent picture, but the point is–at least it’s not all over my face and doesn’t look like I hurt myself.

So there are two main problems for me with this palette:

  1. I bought it for the greens, but I can’t make them work.
  2. I’m not good enough, patient enough or care enough about eye shadow to take the time necessary to put a decent look together.

If I had hours to spend on eye shadow–first of all, I still wouldn’t–but maybe I could get those greens to blend. But I don’t.

My recommendation–as sad as I am to say it–is to pass on this palette.

I’m hoping NYX or some other brand sees all the enthusiasm for these colors and puts together a dupe palette with green matte shadow options.

I’ll be returning my palette to Sephora–along with a number of other people, I’m sure–and dreaming of perfectly formulated green shadow palette while continuing to use Modern Renaissance.

Did you get Subculture? What did you think? Were you able to make this palette work? Do you have a hack that I should try before returning it? I’m all ears!

Per usual–I spent my own money to try this palette. Money it looks like I’ll be getting back.

 

Diamonds and Pearls (and Kittens)

Posted on by Jess
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Most of my junk mail gets pitched without a second thought, but my Ulta mailers always get at least a casual flip through. Earlier this month, I was perusing while waiting for my toast to pop up, and this magical thing caught my eye:

I mean, come on. Kittens! Disco!! Diamonds?!?! I needed to know more. So I hopped on the interwebs and learned that this mask (a pearly-chrome peel-off type) is kind of trying to be a dupe for Glam Glow, I think? Which has always been too expensive for me to even care if it’s worth the hype. This cool cat has a bunch of crazy ingredients in it, like ruby and tourmaline and diamonds and pearls and a bunch of flowers. What do these things do for your skin? Who knows! But the claim is that it will illuminate lackluster skin, smooth it out, and even skin tone. In.

But of course, this cleverly named, highly instagrammable mask listed at a reasonable $23 was sold out. For the second time in a month. *Sad trombone*

Never fear! It came back in stock (and is, currently, available on Ulta.com– I don’t think it’s available in stores yet, but I hear it’s going to be at Urban Outfitters this fall) and by some miracle it happened during a 20% off sale. Woo!

On a recent Friday night after a few cocktails, my husband and I decided a mask was in order. Since this is a peel off mask, I was a little scared- I’ve tried some painful ones (like the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask– ow!!)- so I prepped my hairline and eyebrows with a little Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly, which is the first product YouTube ever convinced me to buy (thanks Kandee Johnson!). My husband, on the other hand, went to town and scrubbed the mask all up in his eyebrows and hairline. Dudes are weird.

The instructions recommend using a silicone spatula or mask brush to apply the mask, and I bet that would work really well! I didn’t have one, so we just used our fingers, which was fine. The mask is like a liquid pearl in the tub, and has a light floral scent, but nothing too offensive. Then, we watched some TV while we waited for it to do it’s thing, and it turned a little more chrome:

We both started feeling a little trapped and frozen-faced, which is always hilarious but then you can’t move your face to laugh about it! So then we were on to the peeling phase, which actually ended up to be pretty fun. Remember when you were a kid and you would put Elmer’s glue on your hands, let it dry, and then peel it off? It’s exactly like that. It was a little spicy around the baby hairs on the edges of my face, but otherwise, not too bad. And yes, my husband still has eyebrows. WHEW.

I have to say, though, my life was completely unchanged after this mask. Aside from it having a cute name and being pretty, I’m not entirely sure what the hype is all about. Maybe I expected too much from it- like, what, it would be a giant Biore strip and clean out every pore on my face? Or leave me sparkly like a Twilight vampire? Maybe I should have listened to Prince instead of watching TV while it dried. Maybe I didn’t use it at the right time. Like, maybe after coming home from a long flight when you feel like a french fry, or maybe during the winter when your skin feels like a snake it will feel like it does something. I will definitely try it again in those instances, but for now, I give it a solid meh, though I’ll also admit that it was the most fun mask I’ve done in a while.

xo

I purchased the I Dew Care Disco Kitten Mask with my own cash money and my own coupon. What masks are the most fun for you??

First Impressions: Glossier Invisible Shield SPF35

Posted on by Lyn
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Ever since Pamela introduced me to Glossier–I’ve been obsessed. First, she bought Jess and me the Balm Dotcom lip balm for Christmas a few years back–and it was great. Then Pamela sang the praises of the Milky Jelly Cleanser–so I had to get it–and I still love it as a gentle way to remove makeup and leave your skin feeling so fresh and so clean. Using Pamela’s 20% off code for the first order, I also got their Phase 2 set which includes the classic Boy Brow–which we all love and I need to repurchase–the Stretch Concealer, which is fab, and a Generation G  lip balm. (honestly, i don’t love the lip balm. i think Colourpop has a much better option with their Blotted Lip. it wears better, has more colors and it’s cheaper.)  I then tried their Perfecting Skin Tint. It is extremely sheer, easy to apply with your fingers, light on your sking and has become my no-makeup go-to foundation of late. I wear shade “Light.”

And then there’s the Cloud Paint. It is seriously the greatest blush I have ever owned. Per usual–Pamela was the guinea pig and raved about it–so I picked up two. (they have a 2/$30 deal so you save $6 when you buy two. at least that’s my defense and i’m sticking to it!)  And now I have all four. They are fantastic!

When they announced their new sunscreen Invisible Shield SPF35 with much fanfare, I was curious.

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Disappointing products I have—or will be—returning

Posted on by Lyn
2

I’m not afraid to return products if I don’t like them. It’s definitely a hassle to make the trip to Sephora or Ulta (I probably buy 80% of my makeup online. the other 20% tend to be impulse purchases at Walgreens or other drugstores) but if a product isn’t worth the price—back it goes.

Recently, I’ve had a rash of products I’ve decided to return. Here are a few and my reasons for taking them back:

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“Empties” reviews: shower products, toothpaste, La Mer and more

Posted on by Lyn
9

Some of my favorite YouTube videos to watch are the “Empties” collections. Why do I want to look at other people’s trash, you ask? Perhaps it scratches the itch I’ve had to be a private investigator—an ambition born spending my youth watching Magnum PI, Moonlighting , Remington Steele and the criminally underrated, Riptide (i wanted both the robot AND the helicopter, sadly, i still have neither) with my mother.

But more likely, I find it helpful to get insight on products that were taken the distance. I like knowing if the trusted YouTuber plans to repurchase items, especially when it requires spending their own money on a product they might have gotten sent to them gratis from the company.

So I thought it might be fun to do my own “Empties” post and go through some products I’ve finished and give my take on them. Continue reading →