January Birchbox

Hi everyone!

Back with another subscription box...this time it's Birchbox! Here's a picture of the January box:

What's inside you ask?

~ Hello Body Cream by Harvey Prince
~ Treat & Conceal Eye & Face in Medium by Sarah McNamara
~ Color Contrast Eyeliner in Jaipur Gold by Sumita
~ Shampoo by Neil George
~ Conditioner by Neil George

I guess Birchbox thinks I really like eyeliner (which is true, I suppose) because I feel like I get one every month! There's no way I can finish all of the eyeliners in time, haha...

Otherwise, I'm looking forward to trying the shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion; those samples should go pretty quickly. The one thing I am disappointed about is that the concealer came in the shade Medium, and I am a very pale person! I'm pretty sure you enter in your skin tone, so I'm not sure how they gave me the medium shade? Oh well, I will make it work or give it to a friend!

Anyone else subscribe to Birchbox? What did you get in your boxes? Or tell me what you would most like to try! Thanks for reading!

Best,
Anna

January Ipsy Bag!

Hi everyone!

I'm a happy subscriber to Ipsy, which sends you a bag of 5 beauty samples and products each month. I thought I would share what I received in my bag for the month of January! Here's a picture of the awesomeness:

Here's what's inside:

~ Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion by Manna Kadar Cosmetics

~ Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer by La Fresh Eco-Beauty

~ Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure by Pacifica

~ Mechanical Eyeliner in Storm by Hikari Cosmetics

~ Mojito Lip Balm by (Malin+Goetz)

I'm really excited to try these things out, especially the eye shadow! Below are some swatches:

The eyeliner is on the left, eye shadow in the center, and (barely showing up!) the shimmer lotion on the right.

I'll give you credit, Ipsy, this was a good bag! If you guys want to see any reviews of specific products, let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Best,

Anna

Lipstick Challenge Update #2!

Hi everyone!

It's a little behind, but it's time for update #2 of my 30 Day Lipstick Challenge! I had a harder time sticking to the lipsticks this go-round, which I think was because I had to go back to the hospital and clinic. I tend to keep it really neutral and natural when I'm working with patients. Without further ado, here's the swatches and list!

From left to right:

1. Tarte - LipSurgence Lip Tint in Believe

2. NYX - Butter Lipstick in Sweet Tart

3. Lipstick Queen - Medieval

4. Lipstick Queen - Electric Slide

5. Rimmel - Kate Moss Lasting Finish in #104

6. MAC - Velvet Teddy (Matte finish)

7. Lipstick Queen - The Hustle

8. Tarte - LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Generous

9. Lipstick Queen - Hello Sailor

10. Make Up For Ever - Rouge Artist Natural in N9

On to the reviews!

1. Tarte - LipSurgence Lip Tint in Believe -- Believe is a fairly bright pinky red with a glossy finish. The LipSurgence Tints are very comfortable to wear! I like this color if I'm going for a slightly bolder lip.

2. NYX - Butter Lipstick in Sweet Tart -- Sweet Tart is a bright hot pink. Very smooth texture, and a nice choice if you want a pop of color! Needless to say, I was too much of a chicken to wear this one to clinic...:)

3. Lipstick Queen - Medieval -- Medieval is a sheer red that gives nice color without being overwhelming. Lipstick Queen is one of my favorite brands, and the sheerness makes this a very versatile color!

4. Lipstick Queen - Electric Slide -- Electric Slide is a bright red with glitter. I don't usually go for glittery lip colors, but I think this one is fun! Another one I didn't wear to clinic, though, haha! My only problem is that the glitter tends to stick around even when the color has worn off!

5. Rimmel - Kate Moss Lasting Finish in #104 -- This is one of my most worn lipsticks! The color is a beautiful mauve with a matte finish. It is very pigmented and can be worn anywhere! It's a good compliment to pale skin like mine. :)

6. MAC - Velvet Teddy (Matte finish) -- This was the nude that the lady at MAC recommended for me when I asked for help. It is a fairly brown nude with a matte finish. MAC lipsticks have good pigmentation and are comfortable to wear. Different than what I usually go for!

7. Lipstick Queen - The Hustle -- This is another one with glitter! I guess I was on a glitter kick this time around...This one is much lighter in color, more of a nude, I suppose.

8. Tarte - LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Generous -- Generous is a matte nude. I really like the packaging of the lip tints because I find the chubby pencil form to be easy to apply. I like Generous, although the matte finish is a little drying.

9. Lipstick Queen - Hello Sailor -- This lipstick intrigued me because in the tube it is a dark blue! It goes on very sheer and turns my lips a berry color. It's also supposed to make your teeth look whiter, which is always a plus. :)

10. Make Up For Ever - Rouge Artist Natural in N9 -- I got this lipstick as a little sample in my birthday gift from Sephora. One of my favorite clinic colors to wear! It gives a nice muted red color, but still looks natural.

So what did I learn this time around? I think I definitely look better in color than in nudes, hahaha! I think when picking a nude, you have to make sure to get the right shade so you don't end up looking like a corpse (no offense if that's your thing, I just don't look very good with no lip color!).

Which one is your favorite? Least favorite? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Best,

Anna

Finish 7 by Spring Intro!

Hi everyone!

In my quest to use up more of my makeup and beauty products, I decided to try the Finish 7 by Spring tag! It's pretty self explanatory, but I have to try to finish 7 products of my choice by March 20th. Since it is my first time giving myself a deadline, I tried to pick some products that wouldn't be too hard to finish up. Here is the list!

1. Raspberry Glazed Lotion by Philosophy - About 2/3 gone at this point...I don't think this one will be too hard to finish up!

2. Bamboo Hair Mousse by Alterna - Honestly it's hard to tell how much is left, but I use it everyday!

3. Mela-D serum by La Roche-Posay - Kind of cheating, but this one is already almost gone :)

4. Vinosource moisturizer by Caudalie - About halfway done with this one already!

5. Rose Chapstick by Softlips - Still have a bit left to go, but I have it on my desk so that I will remember to reapply often!

6. A Perfect World by Origins - Another cheat product, it probably only has a few uses left...

7. Alpha-Beta Peels by Dr. Dennis Gross - I have about 5 or 6 packets left, I just have to remember to use them!

I plan on doing in update toward the middle of the challenge so that we can see how many products I have finished! Let me know if you have any questions or would like to see pictures of any of the products! Feel free to comment down below!

Best,
Anna

Lipstick Challenge Update #1!

So here is the first update to my 30 day lipstick challenge! I have decided to break it up into three parts with 10 lipsticks in each update. For each lipstick there will be a swatch and picture of it on my lips with a mini review of what I thought of wearing it for the day. Without further ado, let's get on to the lipsticks!

1. Urban Decay - Revolution Lipstick in Liar
2. MAC - Viva Glam V
3. Lipstick Queen - Trance
4. Chanel - Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo
5. Milani - Lipstick in Plumrose
6. Ulta - Lipstick in Feeling Peachy
7. Elf - Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Minx
8. Tarte - LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Cheerful
9. NYC - Lipstick in English Rose
10. Bite Beauty - Luminous Creme Lipstick in Bite for VIB Rouge

Here are the swatches on my arm, in the order (left to right) as listed above:

On to the individual lipsticks!

1. Urban Decay - Revolution Lipstick in Liar -- This lipstick is really comfortable to wear and shows up as a nice nude on me. It has a very creamy finish.

2. MAC - Viva Glam V -- This is one of my favorite nude lipsticks! It has more shimmer than the Urban Decay lipstick and gives a natural look.

3. Lipstick Queen - Trance -- This lipstick looks hot pink in the tube but goes on much more sheer, giving a nice pink lip that is noticeable but not too bold. It feels so smooth on the lips!

4. Chanel - Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo -- This lipstick is wonderfully smooth and has a peachy pink color that goes on slightly sheer. I find that it warms up my lips nicely!

5. Milani - Lipstick in Plumrose -- One of my favorite fall colors! Plumrose looks just like the name sounds, a nice berry plum color with a more matte finish. Very pigmented, although the picture doesn't do it justice!

6. Ulta - Lipstick in Feeling Peachy -- I got this in one of Ulta's sample-with-purchase bags. It is a peachy pink color similar to the Chanel Monte Carlo, but the formula is not as smooth.

7. Elf - Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Minx -- This is a mid-pink toned lipstick with a matte finish. It is not incredibly moisturizing despite the name. Good pigmentation, but I don't know if the color works very well with my skin tone.

8. Tarte - LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Cheerful -- I really enjoy all of Tarte's lip tints, although the matte formulas can be a bit drying. Cheerful is a pink with a hint of peach. Good pigmentation and I love the minty smell!

9. NYC - Lipstick in English Rose -- This is a medium pink with a bit of a frosty finish. It has good pigmentation but is not very long-lasting.

10. Bite Beauty - Luminous Creme Lipstick in Bite for VIB Rouge -- I received this mini-lipstick when I got VIB Rouge at Sephora (I'm ashamed at how much money I spend there...). It is a true red with a matte finish. Very comfortable to wear, and it has amazing pigmentation!

As I was looking through all the colors, I realized that a lot of them look VERY similar on my lips...guess I end up buying a lot of similar colors! Otherwise, this has been a fun challenge so far! I realize the timing is a little off due to traveling on my part, but it's all for fun, so I will try to stick to the timeline as close as I can without stressing over it. :)

Let me know if you have any questions, and comment down below with your favorite lipstick of the update! Keep your eyes open for update #2!

Best,
Anna

Disclaimer: I bought all of these products with my own money and am not sponsored by any company. The reviews in this blog are my own opinions.