Sugarpill Sparkle Baby Palette Review

Hi everyone!

So this post is a little bit after-the-fact, but I finally ordered the Sugarpill Sparkle Baby Palette! I had been eyeing this palette for a really long time, but kept putting off on ordering it because I wasn't sure how often I would use colors that bright. Well, I finally went ahead and ordered it, and I am so happy I did! It is an awesome palette that is more versatile than I thought, and the shadow quality and pigmentation is amazing. Here are some pictures:

From L to R: Kitten Parade, Frostine, CandyCrush, Hotsy Totsy

In the pictures of me, I am wearing Kitten Parade on the lid with Frostine and Hotsy Totsy in the crease and outer corner. I was able to create a colorful look that was not too over-the-top, and I loved it! The shadows are extremely easy to work with and blend and have a very smooth texture. The pigmentation is some of the best I've seen with eyeshadow (my phone camera definitely does not do them justice).

Overall, I would highly recommend this palette if you enjoy colorful eye looks. Obviously this is not a neutral palette, but it can also be paired with other neutral shadows to tone down the colors if you want. The quality is excellent and I will definitely be buying from Sugarpill in the future!

Do you have this palette already? What are your thoughts on it? Comment down below!

Best,

Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 6 Month Update and August Empties!

Hi everyone!

So...I really think the title of this post should be "August Empties (and a very embarrassing Project 100 Pan update)" because I hardly made any progress this month! Unfortunately I feel like I fell off the bandwagon a little bit. I haven't really been focusing on my Project Pan items and I have definitely bought new makeup. Since I was feeling a bit discouraged about the whole thing, I did a small declutter and got rid of some of the things in my Project Pan that I decided were too old or that I really wasn't going to use. I hope that doesn't count as cheating! I figure it will allow me to focus on things I love more.

Now on to my pathetic update! I finished one measly Project Pan item this month - the Tarte Vitamin Infused Lip Gloss:

At least I finished something!

As for things I threw out, here's a list (sorry I forgot to take pictures!):
1. Victoria's Secret Pink Tinted Lip Balm in Love
2. NYC Lipstick in Peach Fizz
3. Burt's Bees Gloss in Pucker Berry
4. Bite Beauty for VIB Rouge Lipstick (I had two and kept one since this is a really nice lipstick)
5. Elf All Over Color in Toasted

As for finishing products in general, I didn't do too bad for August! Here's pictures of everything I finished:

Sorry for the rather dirty appearance of some of the bottles; it was near impossible to get them presentable looking! Also, please excuse my poor photography skills.

Out of all my August empties, I really enjoyed the Tarte Smooth Operator Powder, Victoria's Secret Body Lotion, and the Tony and Guy Hairspray. As for things I didn't like as much, I won't be repurchasing the John Frieda Blow Out Spray because I didn't feel that it did much for my hair.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the products, please leave a comment below! Some of the pictures are a bit small, I know, so I would be happy to clarify anything that needs it! :) Thanks for reading!

Best,
Anna

Finish 13 by Halloween ~ One Month Update

Hi everyone!

Today marks one month that I have been doing Finish 13 by Halloween! I have finished five out of the thirteen products, so I don't think that's too bad!

Here's what I've finished:

(excuse my poor MS Paint skills...)

1. Elf Mineral Face Primer

2. EOS Lip Balm

3. Tarte Smooth Operator Powder

4. Clinique High Impact Mascara

5. Tarte Vitamin-Infused Lip Gloss

I liked all the products I finished, but I think my favorite was the powder by Tarte. It was so smooth and I loved it for setting my undereye concealer!

Out of the products I have left, I am so close to finishing both the Benefit cream eyeshadow and the MAC foundation. The Elf bronzer has a good spot of pan in the middle, and the black eyeliner probably won't last too much longer either. Hopefully I will have a lot of stuff to show you next month!

Are you participating in this challenge? Are any of these products ones that you love or hate? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading. :)

Best,

Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 5 Month Update and July Empties!

Hi everyone!

Sorry this is a couple days late, but I was just on a vacation to the lovely state of Vermont! We had a great time and I was impressed by how green it is there! (That's what I get for living in a desert...)

As for my Project 100 Pan, it is still slow going! I must admit, I have lost a lot of motivation for quite a few of the products I chose, but I still managed to finish 3 more! That's 44 products completed!

Here are the three that I finished:

1. Bath and Body Works Raspberry Pink Peony Hand Sanitizer
2. Clearly Natural Glycerine Body Lotion in Lavender Eucalyptus
3. Harajuku Lovers Solid Perfume in Music

Project 100 Pan Empties...not a lot this month!

I liked the hand sanitizer smell, and I loved the fact that it was just alcohol and no Triclosan! The lotion was okay but nothing special. The perfume is probably my least favorite out of all the Harajuku Lovers scents, so I was happy to finish it up. It was a bit too musky for me.

As for my July empties, I did much better and finished quite a lot! Here's the list:

- Kat Von D Setting Spray ~ Love this, kept my makeup looking awesome!
- Simple Cleansing Micellar Water ~ This has become a staple for me! Makes my skin feel fresh.
- Dickinson's Witch Hazel Toner ~ Another staple that I will continue to repurchase!
- Body Shop Vinyard Peach Cream Body Scrub ~ This was okay, not exfoliating enough for me.
- Oribe Brilliance and Shine Shampoo ~ LOVED this...but so expensive.
- Oribe Brilliance and Shine Conditioner ~ Also LOVED this. :)
- MAC Blot Powder ~ One of my favorite powders, really good at controlling shine.
- Clinique High Impact Mascara ~ Good mascara, gave nice length and volume.
- Elf Mineral Face Primer ~ Good primer at a very good price!
- Eos Lip Balm in Strawberry ~ Good but became very waxy with no scent at the end.
- Ole Henriksen Protect the Truth Moisturizer ~ Love this, smells nice and leaves my skin smooth.
- Anastasia Brow Wiz ~ My favorite brow product! So easy to use since it's so thin.
- Dior One Serum ~ Would be my holy grail serum if I could afford to keep buying it! -_-
- Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser ~ Good cleanser, but nothing outstanding.
- Sephora Age Defy Moisturizer ~ Basic moisturizer that did the job.
- Olay Strawberry Mint Body Wash ~ Lovely scent and nice lather, I received this in a Pinch Me box.

Lots of July Empties!

And that's my update! Overall not super successful on the Project 100 Pan, but some progress is better than none! What products have you finished recently? If you have any questions about any of the products I mentioned, let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Best,

Anna

Finish 13 by Halloween Intro!

Hi everyone!
I already posted this on my instagram, but I decided to join in on the fun of a seasonal makeup challenge again! Since Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, I couldn't resist doing Finish 13 by Halloween. I gave myself some easy products and some products that I'm not sure I will finish, but I figure I can make a good dent in them!

Here's the list:

1. Pink EOS Lip Balm (I think it's Strawberry?)
2. Tarte Smooth Operator Powder Sample
3. Benefit RSVP Cream Eyeshadow
4. Noir Black Eyeliner
5. Tarte Vitamin-Infused Lip Gloss
6. MAC Matchmaster Foundation
7. Clinique High Impact Mascara
8. Stila Convertible Color in Peony
9. NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder
10. Elf Bronzer in Glow
11. Urban Decay Lipstick Sample in Sheer Walk of Shame
12. Temptu Pink Pearl Highlighter
13. Elf Mineral Face Primer

All the products!

Funny thing is, the day after I decided I was going to do the project and got all my products together, I finished my Elf face primer! You can't tell how much product is left through the packaging, so I had no idea I was so close to being done. Oh well, it ended up being an easy product!

Already done!

I think that I can easily finish the lip gloss, mascara, foundation, and eyeliner, but I think the other products will definitely be a challenge, especially the Stila convertible color. 

There you have it! Are you participating in this challenge or another project pan? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

Best,

Anna

New Blog Post Ideas!...And a Confession...

Hi everyone!

I finally finished my Pediatric Intensive Care Unit rotation yesterday, and now I have some new found free time! Well, kind of, since I still have to study for my board exam coming up. However, it still got me thinking that I should take advantage of being home and try to post on this blog more.

I have a few ideas for new posts:
- Weekly makeup baskets showing products I choose to focus on for each week
- Collection posts focusing on a specific product (and with swatch pictures!)
- Favorites posts for each month
- Reviews for any new products I am trying out

What do you guys think? Do you like the sound of these ideas? Or do you have other posts that you would rather see? Let me know in the comments below!

And now for my confession...I failed miserably at my no buy this month. :( I went a little crazy after a particularly hard week in the ICU and bought new products from Sephora, Fyrinnae, and Sugarpill. Even though I feel guilty, I really love all the stuff I got! Let me know if you want to see reviews or swatches. ;)

Stay tuned for the next Project 100 Pan Update at the beginning of August and hopefully some new posts as well!

Best,
Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 4 Month Update and June Empties!

Hi everyone!

It turns out I've finally hit the wall I was dreading with my Project 100 Pan. I finished most of the easy and quick products and am now left with ones that will take MUCH longer. I only finished 2 project pan items this month (so sad!), so I decided to combine the update post with my June empties so that there would be more to talk about. :)

The two project pan items I finished were the Elf HD Powder and the Elf Undereye Concealer and Highlighter. I liked the HD powder but I wish the packaging were smaller. It is a very affordable price for the amount you get. The undereye concealer and highlighter were just okay; I found the texture slightly hard to blend into my skin. That makes a total of 41 products finished so far!

The two products I finished from my Project 100 Pan

June Empties!

On to the June empties that were not in my Project 100 Pan! Here's what I finished:

1. Pureology Color Stylist Nourishing Nectar Styling Gel ~ Good gel, nothing special but it did the job! I don't color my hair, but I got this from my mom and used it anyway. :)

2. Eco-Beauty Good Day. Day Moisturizer ~ I got this in an Ipsy or Birchbox...can't remember which one. It was a good moisturizer, but it did not have SPF, so I used it at night instead of during the day.

3. Kroger Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover ~ This is the best eye makeup remover I've tried, and it's cheap! It doesn't even have to be the Kroger brand; I just buy whatever the generic dupe is for the Neutrogena one.

4. Suave Volumizing Root Boost Spray ~ I think this may have added a little volume compared to not using anything. Not sure if I would repurchase, though, because I have other sprays that I like better!

5. Dove Advanced Care Deodorant in Sakura Plum ~ This is my favorite scent by Dove and I think the deodorant works well.

6. Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara in Black Blaze ~ A lot of these mascaras are quite old and dried out, so I didn't necessarily finish all of them, but they are getting tossed. This one was okay but not my favorite. It did a good job separating my lashes, though.

7. Hourglass Film Noir Mascara ~ I honestly don't remember too much about this mascara! I think it was nice but unfortunately it dried out before I got to use a lot of it.

8. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara ~ This mascara was really great! I felt that it gave both length and lots of volume. I would consider buying this again.

9. Benefit They're Real Mascara ~ This is one of my favorite mascaras...it makes me look like I'm wearing false lashes! The only downside is that it can be difficult to remove.

10. Zum Mist Lavender-Lemon Aromatherapy Spray ~ I got this little sample from my mom and used it as a room spray. The scent was nice, but I would not repurchase.

11. Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser ~ I got this sample from Sephora. I really enjoyed this cleanser! It feels warm when you apply it to your face and I felt that it really cleaned my skin. I would consider repurchasing this.

Whew! That's it for this month. One other exciting piece of news - I have not bought any makeup, haircare, or skincare except to replace things I completely ran out of! So far so good!

Are you doing a project pan? Let me know in the comments below, or tell me about what you finished this month!

Best,
Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 3 Month Update

Hi everyone!

I'm a couple days late, but here is the 3 month update for my Project 100 Pan! I wish I could have gotten it up on the first of the month, but clinic schedule has been crazy lately! I've found that my progress seems to be slowing as I've gotten through a lot of the easier-to-use-up products and am left with the ones that will take more time. I still made a good bit of progress though, so I'm pleased! Here's the list of what I finished this last month:

1. Neutrogena Antioxidant Age Reverse Day Lotion
2. Olay Fresh Effects Face Wash in Out Of This Swirled
3. Bath and Body Works Frosted Wonderland Lotion
4. Yes To Grapefruit Dark Spot Correcting Serum
5. Buxom Mascara
6. Bath and Body Works Simply Strawberry Lip Balm
7. Covergirl Eye and Brow Pencil
8. Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream
9. Origins Vita-Zing Moisturizer
10. Elf Undereye Concealer
11. Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner Blackhead Extractor Mask

Here they all are! (Sorry for the pathetic carpet background...)

I was so happy to finish some of these products because they felt like they were going on forever! Now that I've finished them, I would say some of my favorites were the Olay face wash and the Buxom mascara. 

Have you tried any of these products? Which ones did you like or dislike? Let me know if you have any questions or feel free to comment down below!

Best,

Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 2 Month Update

Hi everyone!

It's been two months since I started Project 100 Pan! I feel like I've been making pretty good progress so far, but it's a lot of the easier stuff that is being finished up first. My guess is that the number of products I finish for each update will become less and less as I move on to more of my powder products. Anyway, here is a list of what I finished this month and just a bit of what I thought of them:

The finished products!

1. Olio di Argan Shampoo - Cleaned my hair well, but nothing special

2. Bath and Body Works Sugar Plum Dream Shower Gel - Loved the smell, but it does remind me of the holidays, so I didn't want to use it in the spring and summer

3. Coolway Boost Repair Hair Mask - Didn't notice much of a difference in my hair

4. Amika Nourishing Hair Mask - Once again, not a huge difference in my hair while using this

5. Neutrogena Naturals Multivitamin Nourishing Night Cream - Nice night cream, not too heavy or too light, had a fresh, pleasant smell

6. Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 110 - Really liked this at first and it was a good color match, but it got really hard and difficult to use pretty quickly. I wouldn't repurchase it because of this

7. Maybelline Coverstick Concealer in Fair - Great concealer! I used this for blemishes and it worked well to cover any spots

8. Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow - It was a light champagne gold color, I used it for highlighting my brow bone and inner eye corner, nice pigmentation. I don't know the name because it came in a palette

The eyeshadow color before it was gone!

9. NYC Black and White Eyeliner - Not a bad eyeliner for being so cheap! I think I paid a dollar for this. The black side was good for regular liner, and I used the white in my inner eye corner and waterline

10. Givenchy Phenomen' Eyes Mascara in Phenomen' Black - Good mascara, but I have a love-hate relationship with the wand, which is just a little ball at the end (see below). Works well for outer lashes, but harder to use on lower lashes

Weird ball wand...

11. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - Nice lip balm, although I felt like I had to reapply often

12. Victoria's Secret Pink Tinted Lip Balm in Happy - Nice sheer peach-pink color, although the texture was a bit gloopy

Peachy-pink color

13. Folle de Joie Perfume Sample - Pleasant smell, got this in a Birchbox

14. Sugar Lip Gloss - This one was in a palette, which is why it is not shown above. Nice gloss that gave sheer color, not too sticky and easy to wear

It's the one on the right

That makes a total of 29 products finished out of 100! Let me know if you guys like the mini reviews I included this time around. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below! Or if you're doing a project pan, link your blog or video and I'd love to read/watch it! :)

Best,
Anna

Quest for Minimalism

Hi everyone!

I've been inspired today to write a post about minimalism, which in essence is having less stuff. Lately, I've been bouncing back and forth between wanting to declutter and get rid of stuff, and wanting to buy all the things (especially beauty products)! The big problem is that even when I want to declutter, I just don't have the time to go through with it while I'm on my clinical rotations. And when I finally do have the time...well, then I'm back to wanting to buy more stuff. :)

I've heard many people talk about how liberating it is to get rid of stuff, and I think that it's probably true once you can bring yourself to do it. I've recently heard of the minimalist game, where you get rid of one thing on Day 1, two things on Day 2, etc. for 31 days. I'm toying with the idea of trying it but haven't yet been brave enough to commit.

The truth is I have way too much stuff, but I'm really bad at getting rid of it! I tend to keep things "just in case" or because I think I will use them or for sentimental reasons. These are the main ideas that I am going to try to overcome in my quest to decrease the sheer amount of things I own.

How do you guys feel about stuff? Are you a hoarder like me, or do you love to declutter? And lastly, would you guys be interested in seeing more posts on decluttering and owning less? Let me know in the comments!

Best,
Anna

Project 100 Pan ~ 1 Month Update

Hi everyone!

It's been one month since I started my Project 100 Pan! So far so good! I've been trying to use all the products consistently, although I let myself cheat now and again and use my other products so that I don't get too bored. I have finished 15 products so far, and here's what I've finished specifically:

1. Josie Maran Give One Get One Mascara
2. Smashbox Photofinish Primer Sample
3. Naked Bee Hand Lotion
4. Abercrombie Lip Tint
5. Zum Tub Bath Salts
6. Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation Sample
7. Living Proof Hair Mask
8. Eva NYC Up All Night Volumizing Spray Sample
9. Phyto Volume Intense Mousse
10. Neutrogena Rain Bath Shower Gel
11. Bain de Terre Hair Conditioner
12. Murad Oil Control Mattifier Lotion
13. Maybelline FitMe Foundation Stick in 110
14. Gear Flip Gloss
15. Toni&Guy Glamour Hairspray

Here's the whole lot of them!

(Sorry for poor picture quality...my phone wasn't cooperating...)

Some of the products were really easy to finish since they were samples or one-time-use kind of products. Now that I've been going for a month, though, I have a feeling some of these products are going to take me forever! (I'm looking at you, eyeshadows and powder blushes and bronzers...)

Another bit of positive news - I have not bought any makeup or beauty products! My fiance is helping me stay on track, along with the fact that I am accountable to you guys!

Let me know if you are doing a Project Pan or any challenge of the sort! Feel free to ask questions or comment!

Best,
Anna

A little motivation...featuring steroid injections!

Hi everyone!

I don't usually choose to post about medical school since I don't want to bore everyone to death, but I thought I'd write about an experience I had today - I got to inject a shoulder with steroids for the first time!

Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but it's important to understand that I am NOT a procedure person. Procedures (as in, anything that I have to do with my hands and requires any sort of coordination, haha) make me so nervous and my hands start to shake! So I avoid them if possible while trying to seem like I'm not avoiding them...but not today. Today I had no choice, so I went along and tried to put on my most confident face for the sake of the patient.

Needless to say my attending physician talked me through it (it only takes a minute or two - really a very easy and short procedure) and everything went great! The reason I wanted to write about this is that it was a huge confidence booster for me. I think people don't like to do things they are not good at (or think they're not good at) and so they avoid them. What I learned today was that sometimes you just have to do the thing, and you'll realize it's not so bad! This lesson seems obvious, and I'm sure I had thought of it before, but it's nice to have a concrete example of it working out well.

So my challenge for you today is to go out and do something that makes you nervous! Granted, there will be times where it doesn't work out as planned, but you've got to try! You may surprise yourself. I still probably won't be a procedure person, but I sure won't be as nervous the next time I have to stick a needle in someone's joint. :)

What do you think? Have you done something outside of your comfort zone recently? Let me know in the comments below!

Best,
Anna

Etsy Shop Grand Opening!

Hi everyone!

My newest project has become a reality as of late last night! I finally got up the guts to open an Etsy shop to sell my jewelry. It's pretty small right now, but I hope to see it grow in the future!

Here's the link if you want to check it out!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ItsyBitsiesJewelry?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Right now it's just earrings, but I hope to add necklaces and bracelets in the future! Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions!

Best,
Anna

Project 100 Pan!

Hi Everyone!

I'm feeling ambitious lately, so I thought I would try a project that will definitely test my perseverance! I made a list of 100 beauty products I would like to use up in one year, beginning tomorrow since it will be March 1st. I just bought a ton of new makeup today (that I didn't need, lol) and I figure it's time to start trying to use up what I have instead of buying more.

While I am on the project, I will also be doing a No Buy for as long as it takes me to finish all 100 products. The only exception is if I completely run out of an item and I need to repurchase it. It's going to be quite the challenge!

Here are some pictures of all the products:

The complete set

The eye makeup

The body care items

The hair care items

The face makeup

The lip products

The perfumes

The skin care items

Sorry for the cell phone picture quality. If you're wondering why all the products don't add up to 100, it's because some of them are individual shades in the palettes. If you would like a list of everything, let me know and I will post it!

So that's everything! It's a little overwhelming, but we'll see how it goes! I may be way in over my head, hahaha! I will try to post updates with my progress when I have a more significant dent made in the products.

Let me know if you are working on a project pan, or if you are on a no buy, and we can support each other!

Best,

Anna

Finish 7 by Spring Update/Finale!

Hi everyone!

Sorry I wasn't able to update you guys earlier/more frequently on this project; everything went by quicker than expected! I was also caught up in my internal medicine rotation, which doesn't leave one with too much free time. :)

So, lo and behold, I finished all the products for my Finish 7 by Spring project way earlier than the deadline! Here's the list of what I finished:

1. Raspberry Glazed Lotion by Philosophy
2. Bamboo Hair Mousse by Alterna
3. Mela-D serum by La Roche-Posay
4. Vinosource moisturizer by Caudalie
5. Rose Chapstick by Softlips
6. A Perfect World by Origins
7. Alpha-Beta Peels by Dr. Dennis Gross

I wish I had remembered to take some pictures of the products for you guys! Oh well...next time I obviously need to challenge myself a bit more since these were not too hard to use up! I have a big project in the works that might get me in way over my head, so stayed tuned for an update! :)

Best,
Anna

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.