Endless Summer Voxbox Review

I received my Endless Summer Voxbox in the mail the other day. This makes the third box that I have received from Influenster since becoming a member back in May. Influenster will send out these boxes from time to time, for members to review for free. As I just said, it is free to participate, so why not join? Free stuff is the best stuff!! Continue reading below to see my review on this amazing box!

In this voxbox I received the following items:

1.) Seche Vite Mini and Seche Premier Colour in Cunning -$11.98

This is a really pretty peachy-pink nail color. When applying it, I noticed that the formula was a bit runny and even after 2 coats, it still looked a little streaky. I didn't use a base coat, so next time I will. Hopefully that will make a difference because this is a really nice color. It was also fast drying which is always a plus. 

Here are my nails done up in Cunning.

2.) Iron-Tek Essential Protein Powder- $1.49

I don't usually use protein supplements like this, but because I received it to try out, I will. The information card that came with this item says that the Iron-Tek Essential Protein's specialized blend of whey proteins come from American grass-fed cows (no growth hormones!). Instantized so that it can be easily mixed without a blender and into your favorite beverage. I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow :)

3.) Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Leave-in Conditioner- $3.50

I have used several products from this brand in the past, and I have really enjoyed all of them. This one is no different. It left my hair feeling nice and soft, but not weighed down, like a lot of other leave-in conditioners tend to do with my hair It smells nice too. I also love that it helped to detangle my hair. I will definitely be purchasing the full-size of this once my sample runs out. 

4.) Numi Organic Tumeric, Jasmine Green, and Pu-erh Teas- $5.68

I'm usually not a big drinker of hot teas, but these sound really tasty. I'm looking forward to trying the jasmine green tea and the chocolate pu-erh tea. Hopefully they are as tasty as they sound. Have any of you tried these teas before? If so, let me know how you liked them!

5.) Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara and Masterpiece Liquid Eyeliner- $19.98

I've never tried any makeup products from the Max Factor brand before, so I was super excited to receive these in this voxbox. The mascara lenghtens and thickens my lashes without flaking throughout the day which is a huge plus. When I opened the liquid eyeliner, I was surprised to see that the tip was different from anything else I own. Check the photos below to see what I'm talking about. 

When you hold it one way, you have a thicker tip.

And when you turn it, you have a thinner tip for more precise lining. 

Here are swatches of the eyeliner. It was easy doing a wing with this liner, and it wasn't runny. It's not the darkest black eyeliner that I own, but it is still nice. 

The overall value of this voxbox is $42.63. That's pretty amazing considering I received it all for free for review. If you haven't signed up for Influenster yet, you need to. Free stuff is amazing! If you are already signed up for Influenster, did you receive this box as well, or did you receive a different one? Let me know in the comments section below!

August 2016 Favorites

Hey y'all. It's time for another beauty favorites for the month of August. It's really hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that summer is nearly over already. However, fall is quite possibly my most favorite season of all time, so bring it on! I'm ready for cool nights, fall makeup, college football, and bonfires! What about y'all? Let me know what season you love the best and why!

Well enough with the rambling, let's get into the beauty items that I have been loving this month!!

1.) Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Concealer- $8.99

I have been using this concealer for years, but it just hit me that this is the only one that I continue to come back to over and over again. It is, in my opinion, one of the best drugstore concealers that you can buy. It doesn't make me look like I have cake face, and it conceals my dark circles perfectly. If you haven't tried this before, I would definitely recommend it!

2.) Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper- $20

Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder- $30

I lumped these two together this month, because they are both from the Kat Von D line, and I have been using both like crazy. I had heard nothing but great things about the tattoo liner from KVD's line, so when I saw that Sephora was offering it as a point perk, I quickly snatched it up. I do a liquid winged liner most days, and I have found that this is the pen I keep reaching for the most. It makes doing a winged liner so easy. The formula is a nice, rich black color, and it's not too runny either. I love this stuff. 

Because I have oily skin and wear glasses, I will typically go in and bake my concealer in my under eye area, just to keep things in place longer. This is one of the few setting powders that I have found that doesn't accentuate my fine lines, and it also doesn't give my face a white-cast after using it. For me, it is comparable to the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder, which is another one of my favorites. 

3.) Sleek Cosmetics Highlighter Palette in Solstice- $19.49

 

I received this about two weeks ago from Amazon, and I have literally been using it everyday since! It is absolutely gorgeous, and highly pigmented. It comes with one cream highlight and three powder highlights. Because Sleek is a British cosmetics brand, it is a little bit harder to get here in the states; however, Amazon does sell a few of their products online. After converting the price in pounds to dollars, and subtracting the cost of shipping from England to America, the price I paid for this on Amazon was so much cheaper. There are two other highlighter palettes sold by Sleek Cosmetics, and I plan on trying to get my hands on the rest of them. If you can, I would get this! It is comparable to the ABH Glow Kits in my opinion, and much cheaper in price. 

4.) Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette- $42 

I have been using this palette for half the month of August. For the other half, I have been using the next favorite that I plan on mentioning. The colors are absolutely gorgeous, and are all shades that I am attracted to when looking for a palette. The shades are so blendable and beautiful. There is a little bit of fall-out, especially with the darker shades, but that is something I can look past. For more information about this palette, I did write a full swatch and review on it in a earlier post, which I will post here. Below are a few swatches from the palette. 

5.) Morphe 35O Eye Shadow Palette- $22.99 

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard about the "Jaclyn Hill palette", and the wonder that is the 35O palette. They are one in the same, and this palette is absolutely stunning! I receive so many compliments on my look whenever I wear these eye shadows. The colors are highly pigmented and blendable. It comes with a mix of mattes, shimmers, and metallic shades. If you are a lover of warm, orange eye shadow shades, then this palette is a MUST HAVE for your collection! Morphe also offers a full shimmer and full matte set of the 35O palette on their website. It is currently in stock, so once you get finished reading this post, head on over to their website, and snatch this beauty up before it sells out again. 

6.) Morphe M433 Pro Firm Blending Fluff- $5.99

Morphe M441 Pro Firm Blending Crease- $5.99

Morphe M139 Tapered Crease Blender- $2.99

Morphe has some of the best brushes on the market, and they are such a good price for the quality. I use the three brushes above to really help blow-out my crease, and really get everything nice and blended. I use them all everyday, and it really does wonders for my eye shadow game. So while you are on their website shopping for the 35O palette, I would definitely recommend picking up these three brushes. 

Alright everyone, that is all of my favorites for the month of August. What have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments section below, because I love trying new things!

Marc Jacobs Style Icon No. 20 Eye Shadow Palette Swatch and Review

Hello everyone! I wanted to take a quick break from the subscription box updates to do a quick little swatch and review of the new Marc Jacobs Style Icon No. 20 Eye Shadow Palette that just launched earlier this month. 

I was not lucky enough to get the Marc Jacobs LE palette that came out last year for the holidays, so as soon as I saw this bad boy, I snatched it up. It is rather pricey, but after receiving it in the mail, and playing around with it a few weeks, I must say that I am quite pleased with my purchase. 

The only downside for me concerning this palette is the exterior palette. The color is this gorgeous gold color, and it is very sleek. It is, however, made of a what feels like a cheap plastic case. When I pay $100 for a single eye shadow palette, I expect the packaging to be top notch. This was anything but that. 

On the interior portion of the palette, there is a HUGE mirror, which is always nice to have in any eye shadow palette. Then of course there are the 20 beautiful eye shadows. The color range is perfect for me, and I am able to achieve many different looks with this one palette.  There are multiple mattes, shimmers, metallics, and even a duo-chrome shadow thrown in there. 

Starting on the right side at the top, working our way down, the colors in the first row are as follows: 

Matte ivory, metallic gold, metallic bronze, matte aubergine (Awards Show)

Matte suede, champagne shimmer, chestnut shimmer, matte cocoa (Evening Swag) 

Matte eggshell, snowy white shimmer, (this is the duo-chrome shade in the palette) charcoal shimmer, matte sooty-black (Afterparty)

Matte rose-petal blush, mink shimmer, matte cashmere, deep black (About Last Night)

Cream shimmer, peachy-rose shimmer, lavender shimmer, matte spice (Just Like Us)

The palette does come with a booklet that has 5 different eye shadow tutorials in it. 

Overall, I enjoy this palette, and I'm happy that I purchased it. However, I do feel like several of the shadows can be dupes for other shades in less expensive palettes. The shadows are deliciously creamy, and last all day on the eyes. You have everything here to do basic eye looks, to sexy smokey eye looks. If you are a self-proclaimed eye shadow hoarder, or just like a limited edition makeup piece, then I think you would highly enjoy this palette. 

Thanks for reading all the way through y'all! If there are any other palettes that you think I should review or try out, please let me know in the comments section below. 

Birchbox September 2016 Sample Choice Reveals

Hello everyone! It's time to pick your sample for the September Birchbox. This month all subscribers will be receiving a Milk Makeup multitasking product in their box. The samples choices are shown below. 

This month you will be able to choose between the following three products.

* Milk Makeup Highlighter

* Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara

* Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Perk

The curated box is shown above, and will include the following items:

*Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara

* Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator

*Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+

*Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

*Supergoop Shine-On Lip Screen SPF 50

That's everything for the month of September. What will you be choosing? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you aren't already signed up for Birchbox, click the link below to get started today.

https://www.birchbox.com/invite/katiebb

Here is a promo code for new subscribers below:

NATURALEYE: Receive a free W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara with your first Birchbox. 

Play! by Sephora August Unboxing

Hello everyone! It's finally time for my Play! by Sephora unboxing for the month of August. Play! by Sephora is a $10/month beauty and makeup subscription service. They send 6 samples each month, along with a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS for in-store learning. You can take the PLAY! PASS into any Sephora store, and use it to earn an additional 50 points with any purchases made. There is a waiting list to join; however, it does open up for everyone from time to time. Just continue to check in, and add your email address to be notified once it does! 

The theme this month is "The Eye Openers". Continue reading below to find out what I received this month. 

1.) Lancome Energie De Vie Smoothing and Glowing Liquid Care Moisturizer

This product claims to visibly relieve dullness, diminish signs of fatigue, and promote a healthy looking glow. Sounds like things my skin desperately needs right now. I do wish the sample size was a little bit larger though. 

2.) Algenist Eye Renewal Balm

This eye cream says that it will reduce dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. I have been using it for the past week, and I haven't noticed any changes in my eye area yet. I do like the thick formula of this product though.  A little bit definitely goes a long way. 

3.) Clean Reserve Warm Cotton Eau de Parfum

Let me start out by saying that I do NOT like this scent at all. Yes, it smells like clean laundry, which is nice; however, I do not want to wear a perfume that smells like that. I can simply wash my clothes, and get the same effect as this perfume without spending $90 to do it. 

4.) Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

I have been wanting to try this mascara for a while now, because everyone I know raves about it. However, I've worn it on 3 separate occasions now, and it flakes so badly. It also didn't really lengthen and thicken my lashes as much as some of my other favorite mascaras do. 

5.) Sephora Collection 12 Hour Contour Eye Pencil in Love Affair

I really like the color of this eyeliner. It's a deep plum color, which is nice and creamy and goes on easily on my waterline. My only complaint is that it isn't 100% waterproof. I did notice it was fading throughout the day. Swatches are shown below. 

6.) Make Up For Ever Artist Eye Shadow in I-544

I love MUFE eye shadows, and this one is such a pretty color. It's a pink granite color, that looks so pretty all over the lid. It's not chalky like other eye shadows, and the color stayed on my eyes all day. I popped mine out of the plastic packaging and put it in my Z-palette for easier storage. Swatches are shown below. 

Below are the swatches of the eyeliner and the eye shadow. 

That's everything that I received in my August Play! by Sephora box. Did we receive the same things? If so, how did you like the items this month? Let me know in the comments section below. 

There are now theme spoilers for the September Play! by Sephora box. Click here to check them out now!

Play! by Sephora September Full Spoilers!

Hello everyone! The Play! by Sephora September theme has finally been announce on their website! For those that don't know,  Play! by Sephora is a $10/month beauty and makeup subscription service. They send 6 samples each month, along with a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks and a PLAY! PASS for in-store learning. You can take the PLAY! PASS into any Sephora store, and use it to earn an additional 50 points with any purchases made. There is a waiting list to join; however, it does open up for everyone from time to time. Just continue to check in, and add your email address to be notified once it does!

The theme for the month of September is Unbasic Basics. 

Full spoilers for the month of September have finally been leaked! Here are the items that subscribers can look forward to receiving:

-Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

-Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner

-Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfecter

-Sephora Collection Rouge Shine Lipstick

-Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Verte

-Dr. Jart+ Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer

There is word that there are possible variations in September's box, so you may not receive the items mentioned above, but something different. If your box has shipped, and it's different than the items above, let me know in the comments below, so I can update with the variations. 

You can watch the video here.

What do y'all think of September's theme and spoilers? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, continue checking back in here as I will post possible variations for the September box as they become available!

August Ipsy 2016 Unbagging

Hello everyone! It's finally that time of the month where I share what I received in my Ipsy glam bag. Ipsy is a $10/month subscription service, that sends out 5 different beauty items per month. It is generally more makeup items; however, they also throw in some skin care and hair care items, as well. Each month subscribers will receive their items in a cute little makeup bag.  You can review the items you receive for points, which you can then redeem for items on their website. Continue reading below to find out what I received this month. This post contains referral links. 

1.) Trust Fund Beauty Liquid Lipstick in K, Bye

I have heard of Trust Fund Beauty before; however, I have never tried any makeup products from them. I was super excited to receive this in my bag this month. The color is absolutely gorgeous, and it's definitely a shade that I will wear a lot, especially in the fall. It doesn't dry down completely like other liquid lipsticks, which I'm okay with. Swatches are below. 

2.) It Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Mini Gel Eyeliner

This eyeliner is one of the few that will actually stay on my waterline ALL DAY long without smudging or completely disappearing. I also love that the sample Ipsy sent is a twist up eyeliner pencil, instead of one that needs to be sharpened. I will definitely be purchasing the full size once my sample runs out. Swatches are below.

3.) Winky Lux Diamond Complexion Powder in Light

This is a very soft pressed powder, that goes on smoothly over my foundation/concealer. It doesn't have any shimmer qualities like you would think it would due to the name. I've been using this lately to set my under eye area, and it seems to work quite well. Swatches are below. 

Above are swatches of everything. 

4.) Josie Maran Whipped Mud Mask in Vanilla Apricot

I used this the other day, and I didn't really notice a difference in my skin after using it. Plus the scent is not my favorite. It was also a one time use sample size. I am slightly disappointed with this particular product. 

5.) Organic Surge Perfecting Face Polish

This product claims to remove impurities and dead skin cells, while hydrating the skin. I cannot say whether that is true or not, since I haven't tried it out yet. It is a large sample size though, so I will be able to tell if I like it or not. 

Alright everyone, that is everything that I received in my Ipsy bag for the month of August. What did y'all receive? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you aren't currently signed up but thinking about it, click the link below to get started today. 

https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=vhsxq

Also, there are currently spoilers out for the September Ipsy glam bag. Click here to check those out, and let me know what you think, and what you hope to receive next month.