This is how the palettes looked after I rearranged some of the powders and posted the photo on Instagram. I made some drastic changes afterward, that I will discuss in this post.
I did it! I summoned up the courage to do Round 2 of depotting and rearranging my Ambient Lighting Edit Palettes! This time, I had to do things old school because I left my Z-Palette branded Z-Potter behind in the US (and the brand only ships them within North America). I could try to look into purchasing a portable induction burner here, but I don’t depot often enough for it to be worth it.
I won’t be giving instructions on the depotting process because I wrote a very detailed post already in Round 1. Only a few aspects changed this time around: One was my heating tool, a titanium flat iron, that I set at around 310°F-340°F for the tin palettes and had to bump it all the way to 380°F with the plastic quad. Another change is that I sought out magnetic strips that are specifically intended to hold objects on a wall. I figured that should ensure the adhesive backing and magnetic grip are both strong enough for palettes that will always be laid flat anyway. Lastly, my husband bought me a label maker, so I could print and stick the shade names onto the metal stickers instead of writing everything by hand.
Since I hadn’t dealt with the plastic Hourglass palettes at the time of Round 1, I will give the warning here that they are much more difficult to depot than the tin ones. The plastic palettes have more glue and they are set way tighter/flush to the sides of the component. Meaning, it is even harder to wedge the cosmetic spatula between the tile and walls of the compact. I couldn’t get them out without scraping at least some of the edges. In addition, the bottom of the compact will be partly warped/melted because it requires so much heat. My husband thinks keeping the palettes at lower heat, but for a much longer amount of time might work too, but I didn’t have the patience to try that method.
This is an example of how the plastic palette looked once two shades were depotted (and you can see where I quit midway while attempting to depot a third). I used the aluminum foil between the plastic and my hair straightener to avoid dirtying the plates.
The first two customized palettes I’m going to show are the ones I said I would make in my Swan Palette and Dusk Quad review. The arrangements aren’t the exact same because I tried to avoid depotting the powders that I planned to keep within the same palettes anyway.
The “Panda” Palette (in Leopard Packaging that used to hold the Snake Palette shades)
Original Snake Palette vs Current Snake Palette
Solar Glow (Highlighter) – Fox At Night (Blush) – Dusk Quad, Permanent Shade Eternal Light (Finishing Powder) – Lotus, Permanent Shade Mood Flush (Blush) – Sculpture and Dusk Quad Mystic Flush (Blush) – Snake Solar Bronze (Bronzer) – Snake
This is my “main” palette, the one I intend to keep within easy reach in my makeup collection. It’s a bit of a shame that my perfect palette has the most dings and nicks from the depotting process. For some reason, the glue in the Fox palette was a silvery color. Hourglass usually uses a clear glue, unless the orange-yellow residue color isn’t from the tile. The glue under Amethyst Haze was thin, so it was easy to pop it out. I expected the same ease from the Solar Glow Highlighter, but it was so stuck in the pan that I not only dug into the powder, a few small pieces of terracotta/clay tile broke off the edge in the process. This was the first time I’d ever broken the actual tile, and the amount of glue was 5x thicker than what was under Amethyst Haze. It was such a thick layer and felt like silicone/rubber. It was also the strange silver color. As for At Night, that came from the plastic palette with such little space to place my cosmetic spatula, so damage was unavoidable. I dug a bit into the baked tile as well.
I already talked about my reason for choosing these shades in that Swan review, but for those who didn’t read it, they are essentially a mix of my favorite shades that suit me the best and I can wear them all year round.
The “Rabbit” Palette (in Fox Packaging)
Original Fox Palette vs Current Fox Palette
Mood Exposure (Blush) – 5 Holiday Palettes, Permanent Shade Lucid Glow (Blush as Highlighter) – Fox, Ghost Quad, Sunset Quad, Barney’s Volume III Desert Light (Finishing Powder) – Fox Canyon Heat (Blush) – Fox Luminous Coral (Blush) – Swan Bronze Fusion (Bronzer) – Fox
The original photo was taken on a sunnier day, so it looks a bit warmer. The second photo heavily relies on artificial light, as it has been cloudy all week. Please excuse those differences.
This palette is one that I will get more use from when I’m back to my winter shade. It comprises of some of my favorite powders that aren’t exactly deep skin friendly. Even though 4 out of 6 powders are from the Fox Palette, the addition of the two other blushes makes this the kind of color story I could envision Hourglass releasing as a “medium” palette in the future.
If I can get Oasis Glow out of this palette (and most likely put Lustrous Bronze Light instead), I will turn this into a completely unusable quad. I don’t want to throw the powders away, but I don’t need Radiant Light, Sublime Flush can look a bit ashy at times, and I can’t use Natural Bronze at all. Considering the standard packaging, it would be ideal to store my least used powders. I would then put the quad in my “makeup cemetery,” the box where I keep makeup I don’t use anymore, but don’t have the heart to toss out.
Initially, I just swapped out Luminous Coral for Amethyst Haze, but upon further reflection, I thought it would be cooler to make a blush-heavy palette. If I’m not sure if I want to wear the blushes from my main and winter palettes, I’m most likely going to find something I like in this one (especially if I’m in the mood for pink).
The New Lotus Palette (in Dragon Packaging)
Gilded Strobe Light (Highlighter) – Lotus Desert Flush (Blush) – Lotus Dim Light (Finishing Powder) – Swan, Leopard, Many Others, Permanent Radiant Rose Strobe Light (Highlighter) – Lotus Red 0 (Blush) – Lotus Solar Bronze (Bronzer) – Lotus
I only swapped out Eternal Light for Dim Light. Since Red 0 is one of my most intense Hourglass blushes, I wanted to have something in here to help tone the color down, other than Desert Flush. Plus, I didn’t want to alter Lotus too much. It’s one of the deepest color stories Hourglass has created, and I would like to keep it that way in my mind, especially since this isn’t a palette I reach for that often. I may as well not mess with the arrangement too much if there’s very little benefit in doing so.
The New Owl Palette (formerly Leopard Color Story)
Original Palette vs Current Palette
Dim Light (Finishing Powder) – Leopard, Swan, Many Others, Permanent Celestial Strobe Light (Highlighter) – Leopard Sun Beam (Blush) – Snake Burnished Glow (Blush) – Tiger Iridescent Rose (Blush) – Tiger, Leopard, Horse Lustrous Bronze Light – Leopard, Elephant
I can use most of the shades in here, but the chances are slim that I would actually want to pick them over my new versions of Snake, Fox, and Swan. Considering Owl never had its own color story, and I wanted this palette mainly for the packaging, I felt it was a good place to store less used products. I can store Owl away as if it’s just a collector piece.
Tiger (and technically Butterly) was the first Hourglass Palette that I made big changes to. It was the proof of concept that rearranging the powders could make me use them more. It may not look very used, but I took it traveling several times and this was my main face palette until the Snake Palette was released and I started to use that one more, specifically for the bronzer.
Although I removed Sunset Glow, which was my biggest reason for continuing to seek out this palette, I added my backup of Mood Flush which is one of my favorite shades. Plus, Infinite Strobe Light is technically a workable highlighter on me, and Sunset Flush can work as a highlighter too. So, I consider this a wild card palette. I don’t think I’ll have much of a reason to crack it open for a long time, but it still contains products I have enjoyed in the past and may feel the urge to use again in the future.
I should probably note that rather than putting magnetic strips on the tin directly, I could have just attached magnets to the bottom of the powder tiles and that would stick just fine to the metal bottom. The reason I didn’t do this is so that I could store the Hourglass powders in any empty magnetic palette I want (that’s deep enough of course). I figured that would give me more storage possibilities.
I hope you’ve found this post interesting! Which palette combination do you like the most? Have you tried depotting these powders too, or are you waiting for Hourglass to relaunch their custom quads and/or introduce custom palettes?
For such an unexpected collaboration, I decided to make this bonus post! If you’re looking for a super detailed review, you’ve come to the right place!
I purchased, or one could say I fell for, the Starfell Treasure Limited Edition Kit which is the smaller of the two options on the Charlotte Tilbury website.
This kit includes:
The Magic Water Cream (15ml)
The Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (34ml)
The Magic Serum Crystal Elixir (Deluxe Sample)
Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Eye Mask
Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Compact Mirror
Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Small Pouch
Genshin Impact In-Game Rewards: Primogems *160, Hero’s Wit *5, Sanctifying Unction *5, Mora *50000 (Code to redeem valid from 30th April 2025 – 30th July 2025)
I don’t play Genshin, so that code went straight to my husband. According to him, the value of the in-game rewards isn’t worth that much comparatively to the price paid for the physical items. So, I considered it more of a free gift with purchase instead of something to be factored into the retail price. The code is supposed to be sent, “within 8 days by email to ensure that your order arrives first,” though the FAQ section of the website clarifies that it could be 8-10 days. Mine landed in my indox on day 9.
I created my first Instagram Reel of the unboxing, which can be seen HERE.
DISCLOSURE: I am not an affiliate of Charlotte Tilbury nor miHoyo. I bought this with my own money and all thoughts are my own.
Please note that all photos can be clicked to see a larger version on one’s desktop!
Let’s start with the Keepsake Box! The section that folds over is blue, but my eye can detect that the tone is verging on purple, like a dark indigo. It has a soft touch coating, for a more luxurious feel, with gold lettering on top. The inner lid also has gold designs and the trademarked phrase, “Makeup Your Destiny.”
I had a hard time getting my camera to show the slight purple lean of that blue color.The next photo below shows the color better.
The inner portion of the box that houses the items is more of a maroon or bordeaux color and soft touch lamination. I’m no printing expert, so this is just to the best of my knowledge based on the differences of how they feel.
The closing flap is a thick paperboard type of material that tucks into the space between the blue and bordeaux portions on the bottom.
As far as cardboard keepsake boxes go, I think this is well made.
The first item I pulled out of the box was the “small” drawstring tasseled velvety pouch that ended up being larger than I expected. My rough estimates for the size is 23 cm high, 17-19 cm long as it gets a little wider towards the bottom, and 5 cm wide (9H x 7L x 2W inches).
The bordeaux colored inner lining is polyester with both Charlotte Tilbury and Genshin Impact logos. I don’t know the technical term for the kind of printing that’s on the outside in the gold design, but I can feel it on the fabric.
Despite its size, I still intend to use this as my dice bag for Pen-and-Paper RPG nights. I currently have three sets of dice. This thick high quality pouch is going to be so extra for that purpose…and I love it!
My old pouch vs the upgrade.
The next item is the velvety sleeping eye mask. I have a big head, so it fits a bit tight despite the strap being stretchy. This didn’t bother me while I was playing around with it in an upright position, but at night with how often I move my head around, the straps were tugging too much on the back of my head and on the sides, which pulled the mask tightly against my eyes. The pressure to my eyes was too much for me and I took it off after less than five minutes of wearing it. It’s a shame, but perhaps my sister-in-law who plays Genshin will want it. I could also potentially use this on flights since I would be in the upright position.
The underside of the mask has the same gold patterns and letters, which means I can feel that it’s scratchy when I run my fingertips over it. I was concerned that I would feel it against my eyelids and face while I wore it, but it wasn’t an issue. To be fair, I haven’t been able to wear it long enough to confirm if laying down with it while tossing and turning would pose an issue.
Unlike the pouch, this eye mask has a few flatback acrylic rhinestones embedded on it. They don’t feel like they would come off easily. I think they’re pretty secure.
The most exciting item for me in this box was the compact mirror. It’s shiny, rose gold colored, and has a cool celestial design. My husband said something about an “Astrolabos Constellation,” which I guess is what this represents.
The mirror with the “Makeup Your Destiny” phrase is the normal one. I’m not sure what level of magnification the other side is, but I’d guess it’s just double.
Parts of this feels like aluminum and parts feel plastic. I couldn’t find any specifics on the website, nor on the paper included in the box with extra information. It just has a warning to clean the compact with a soft cloth and to keep it away from moisture, especially creams. So, basically someone shouldn’t try on the Magic Water Cream and then pick up the compact without washing their hands first!
I will admit that I don’t know if I will actually put this in my purse. I used to collect compact mirrors and I always carry one around, but I also always select the lightest ones to avoid the extra weight in my purse. The heavier ones just stay in a drawer for me to admire, and this may end up being the case with this Genshin compact as well. It’s not that heavy, but heavier than what I’m currently using and at least twice as thick.
The small box has three products that are normal within the Charlotte Tilbury line. There are no special Genshin Impact themed details on the packaging or the products themselves.
The Magic Water Cream is something I have reviewed a sample of before, though I was living in a different climate.
The summarized details is that it’s a fragrance free gel-cream hybrid that fully sinks into the skin, feels lightweight and was able to keep my face hydrated all day. I loved this product, but couldn’t justify buying it at full price considering all the other moisturizers I had and loved. I ended up getting it anyway in the Volume 23 Trendmood Box last year, but that box was shipped to the US. So, I hadn’t been able to use it until a month ago.
The 50ml jar on the left in the photo above is the full-size that retails for $100 (I paid $49 for that Trendmood Box). There is also a 30ml jar for $65, which is the size anyone who buys the larger Starry Miracle Limited Edition Kit will get. The smaller jar in the photo is the one included in my box, which is 15ml for $30.
I have dry skin and this cream was perfect for me while I lived in Florida. The original Magic Cream was too thick. Now that I live in Germany, I’m not sure if the Magic Water Cream will be potent enough for me when winter rolls around. I will probably just have to pair it with a milky toner.
The tiny sample size of the Magic Serum Crystal Elixir is one I’ve used only once so far. I honestly can’t review something like this considering how long skincare usually takes to make any changes to someone’s skin. The website lists a lot of great ingredients, including some trademarked ones. I’m not a fan of the herbal smelling parfum in this, nor the extracts that have strong scents to them.
This soaks immediately into my skin. The consistency of the product reminds me of the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum (replaced by the Honey Glow 17% AHA + BHA Resurfacing Acid Serum), though Charlotte’s product doesn’t make my face feel as tingly/burning as Farmacy’s. These two products aren’t meant to do the same thing; I just wanted to give a texture comparison.
The second item that I was the most excited for in this box was the travel size setting spray. I wanted to try it ever since it came out, but I rarely use this kind of product, so I’m doing my best to resist buying them. It’s even more difficult now that so many brands are launching setting sprays this year. Receiving it in this box was a loophole around my lowbuy and made it okay…because Girl Math!
I have only used the setting spray over the course of two days, but I’ll share my early thoughts about it. I want to review the setting spray again after doing lengthier wear tests, but it will probably be months before that happens. If you’re interested in Charlotte Tilbury makeup, I have another review coming on Monday, so stay tuned for that!
The photo above shows the amount of foundation that transferred onto the paper towel pieces after I pressed it against different parts of my face. It was a warm-ish sunny day when I’d gone out, so I sweat a bit. On the half of my face that I used the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray on, it clearly had less transfer. Based on the website description, I couldn’t find any transfer claims other than promising this will “lock in” makeup. However, the brand says this is waterproof. I did a test using the Rare Beauty Bouncy Blush on the back of my hand and sprayed it with the CT Spray, giving it ample time to dry. Then, I ran it under water for some time. The swatch was completely unaffected. I know the rule of thumb is to not rub one’s face if using waterproof products and just let the water slide off. I was still curious and rubbed the swatch hard while there was still water present. I was surprised to see how much of the swatch was still visible. As far as testing the waterproof claims on my actual face, the most I can say is that I spilled a little water on my chin while I was drinking and it didn’t leave any streaks. So, as far as I’m concerned, this appears to actually have waterproof capabilities, though I haven’t done intense additional tests.
This setting spray smells nostalgic to me, though I can’t remember what it reminds me of specifically. The closest I can come up with is a mojito. I think the citric acid in this reminds me of limes and this does contain alcohol. The brand describes the parfum as a “fresh floral scent,” and it is admittedly quite light and pleasant. As much as I prefer not to have fragrance in my makeup and skincare products, I’ve smelled setting sprays that were awful, so I’d rather have it smell nice over it having a potentially bad odor. To clarify, the reason the smell is nostalgic for me is because I stopped drinking anything carbonated for at least twelve years. Bubbly drinks (even non-alcoholic ones) hurt my stomach.
The sprayer on this is quite powerful. A lot comes out at a time and pretty much douses the face. Considering this is a waterproofing product, I guess it makes sense to not come out in a gentle mist and potentially miss covering some spots.
The brand says this is a hydrating spray, which I agree with. My skin looked glowier immediately after spraying my face, and after it dries down it remains looking that way. The shine from the glycerin looks great and it definitely helped to make my makeup look smoother and less powdery. It reminds me of MAC Fix+, but with stronger setting properties. Products with film formers usually work well on my face, and it seems to be the case with this spray too. I heard complaints from people that this makes the face sticky, but that didn’t happen to me when I used it. Even after spraying it on the back of my hand to check, it still wasn’t sticky. On my second day of trying it, I sprayed prior to applying makeup as a primer and then finished off my completed makeup look by spraying it again. There was a little bit of stiffness, as if I was wearing the world’s stretchiest peel-off-mask, but that sensation eventually went away. And, it still wasn’t sticky to the touch.
And then regarding using this to dampen and intensify non-matte eyeshadows, I’ve tried this once. It works, but so does everything else I’ve used for this purpose. I would have to test it longer and with some of my most fallout prone and flakiest eyeshadows to find out if it offers better adherence.
Some things that I can try to test for in an update in the future is how this performs with more than just two different foundations. Depending on how long this takes, I can also see if there is a difference between how it performs in summer versus winter.
Mona is the Genshin Impact character that this collection is supposed to be inspired by. I think it’s less about her personality and more about her design. Charlotte Tilbury has included stars and other celestial objects on packaging since the start of her brand. Lift up the flap of any unicarton and there will be a star there. Her limited edition products often had stars imprinted on the powder surface. I don’t know if they are supposed to be orbit lines, sun rays, or something else, but there is plenty of packaging from Charlotte Tilbury that has lines on them. She does Lunar New Year Collections. Products have names like “Cosmic Rocks” and “Magic,” so it’s no surprise that she’d want to choose a character that represents astronomy, astrology, and magic. As I mentioned before, I don’t play the game, but my husband encouraged me to watch a ton of videos with him of every Genshin Character in a series of fan-made videos. So, I’ve seen all of their designs. From what I recall, Mona is the best fitting for star representation. If there is a character who is a better fit, I’d love to hear more about it in the comment section or any other thoughts about this collection.
Some of the many stars designs from the Charlotte Tilbury brand.
Regarding the logistics, I started with a US account. I couldn’t log in for some reason, so I registered a new one with the same email for a German account and it worked. I can still see my previous orders if I change my region to the US. For Germany, they have Deutsch or Englisch language options. Sometimes if I click on English, it doesn’t show me my German orders, so I have to switch to German language and then back to English again for it to load. Just wanted to point out those website hiccups. My package was delivered through the UPS shipping service and shipped out of Poland.
I wanted to have the full experience ordering from the website, so I paid a little extra to get the Large Gift Box. It’s a nice box, although it doesn’t have the soft touch coating. There was an option to choose a ribbon or a sleeve to go around it. I picked the Scorpio Sleeve (another tie to Charlotte’s love of constellations and the cosmos). I also received my two free gift with purchase samples. Shipping was free (normally under 4 Euros if the minimum purchase subtotal hasn’t been reached) and I was able to use the welcome code (Darling15) to save 15% off my order!
When it comes to deciding whether this collection is worth getting, I can say that the price of the travel setting spray and moisturizer comes to $53. Even if I hadn’t used the brand’s code, there are influencer/affiliate codes floating around the internet that will drop the price to $51. So, I got a lot of extra products that would raise the total if I had to pay for them outside of this collab. I didn’t need the moisturizer and I could have bought the setting spray from a retailer for 20% off, but as long as I feel the Genshin items are worth a minimum of $10 each, I can easily feel like this was money fairly spent! It would have been nice to also have the type of collab where Charlotte Tilbury created limited edition makeup with color stories and special packaging for the Mona theme, but I’m happy with my purchase. You won’t catch me buying the larger kit though! That’s for someone who is an insanely dedicated fan of CT, Genshin, or both.
That’s about everything I can think of to include! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Volume 21 launched on November 3rd, and is the third Trendmood box I’ve purchased overall. For those who might not be familiar with them, the founder is Sophie of the Trendmood1 Instagram account. It’s not like subscription services that charge monthly until cancelled. Each box of products is curated and shown ahead of time (including details about possible shade variations that will be chosen at random). The prices of each box also varies and you have to buy each specific box you want each time it launches. There are currently no preorders. Quantities are limited and once they sell out, they usually aren’t restocked. What they ended up doing last year for Black Friday was selling a mystery box with a set number of products that would be randomly chosen from a pool of previously launched boxes. My second ever Trendmood box was last year’s Black Friday mystery one.
Volume 21 was supposed to be $48 for the products inside that had the combined retail price of $195, but using Trendmood’s own code at launch dropped it to $45. There is usually an incentive to purchasing early and signing up for early access (one hour before the normal launch). This time the discount was five percent, but it can vary. I got 20% off that Black Friday box with the special code.
I had actually heard people were disappointed by the Fall Romance palette since it came out before the Vol.21 box was available. The Fall Romance palette is $55 at full price, so I was willing to gamble that getting this for $10 cheaper, plus other items I was interested in having, would end up still being worth it. Let’s see if I’m correct!
I will start off reviewing Fall Romance, plus Nouveau that I bought last year that came with a free 2 piece set (mesh pouch and mascara) from purchasing through Ulta. Since I still have that Lash Brag mascara and I recently got 10x the points buying a mini of the new Lash Sculpt mascara, I’ll be reviewing them both too. I will include additional reviews of other products I’ve used from the Trendmood box at the end!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Fall Romance Eyeshadow Palette
Moonlight feels gritty and is difficult to pick up with a finger. It might be intentionally hard pressed to minimize the fact that it’s a flakier topper style duochrome eyeshadow. Divine felt surprisingly rough too. Even though it picks up easily on my finger, it takes multiple swipes to smooth it out for an opaque section of color. The brand considers it a duochrome as well and describes the shade as, “vivid purple with a sparkling pink-pearl shift,” but the shifted sheen is so subtle that it’s not a true duochrome in my eyes. Ember and Crimson are the two roughest textured shadows in the palette, but Ember smooths out nicely whereas Crimson is patchy both in swatches and on the eyes. With a lot of work, it can be covered up, but I’m not pleased with the way this one was made. Thorns and Mulberry are not quite as rough feeling as Ember and Crimson, but still not as soft as regular ABH matte eyeshadows. Unlike the first five shades in the palette, plus Midnight, the remaining shadows in the palette have a big kickup problem. I don’t usually pay much attention to some excess powder here and there, but it literally gets into the neighboring shades if I forget to pay attention to how softly I tap and pick up product on my brush. I’m wondering if we have another Subculture situation where the brand wants pigment, but feels they have to press the pans very hard so they don’t fly all over the place due to not using enough binders. I never owned the Subculture palette because the reviews scared me off, but I remember the complaints that came out about it and this seems similar with the exception that these mattes are even rougher feeling to the touch. Thankfully, these don’t feel like sandpaper when I’m actually applying them to my eyes, but it’s indicative that the formula is not the same as ABH’s usual eyeshadows. All that rough texture feels like how pigments/oxides feel without enough fillers, yet the ingredients show this is definitely not the case. So, unfortunately, I’ve been unable to figure out why these feel like this.
Something else to keep in mind is that the non-shimmers all deepen up considerably when I use MAC Paint Pot, so a drier type eye primer is better for me. At least, something like the Gerard Cosmetics Clean Canvas works better. I don’t know how these perform with ABH’s own primer which was definitely a very dry type. I ran out of the sample, so I can’t test the palette out with it.
Another thing that will probably be less important to others is that Thorns looks so similar to Twilight in the pans that I got them mixed up in one of the eye looks I created (but did not photograph), and only realized it when the spot turned blue where Thorns and Twilight connected with Divine. Thorns by itself is more vibrant of a green than the other one, but also has a stronger blue tone to it. The ability to see it in the pan depends on the lighting.
Looking at the photo of the yet-to-be-used palette at the top of the post, Fireside stands out as the most textured and foiled shimmer of the bunch, but I was disappointed that it didn’t look special on the eyes. Applying it damp smooths it out, so it looks more metallic than sparkly, but adding Fireside back on top with a dry finger brings some shine back. This technique improves my opinion of how it looks on me, but it’s still not my favorite. Crown is a beautiful duochrome gold to green shimmer shade, but even though it’s one of the stars of this palette, Natasha Denona has done a shade like this better from her Gold palette (Lime Chrome) and the Mini Gold (Antheia). Smoke is the smoothest of all the shimmers in look and feel, but is also the only one that creases on me. It’s only a tiny bit of creasing though. The bigger issue is the immense fallout, so I advise applying this one wet and/or using glitter glue. Nyx Glitter Primer pretty much solved this issue for me.
There’s a learning curve to using this palette in the beginning. I have to be mindful of the primer used. I have to be careful to watch out for patchiness from Crimson. I have to combat shimmer fallout. I also noticed that these shadows really didn’t like my crease brushes. They were more prone to patchiness from the color being too easily rubbed off. I had to switch to using mostly paddle shaped and flat brushes before blending the edge with no additional product with a crease brush at the end. For some reason, these work better when patted on slowly to be built up and not swiped across the skin the way I would normally work in windshield wiper motions with a crease brush.
Due to all these issues, I can’t recommend this palette. Because I know all the tips and tricks to making this work now, I have managed to complete eye looks in an acceptable amount of time and find it less difficult to use. I’m still annoyed when the matte kickup (which tends to be dark) keeps getting into the shimmers (which are mostly light) and wants to stick to them, basically dirtying up the color. I really love those tones of colors though, and the end result of the eye look most of the time. For that reason, I don’t regret buying the Trendmood box to get it, and I surprisingly keep second-guessing my decision to leave it behind when I go to Germany again.
In the Nouveau section, I delve into more theories as to why that one gets praised, but this one doesn’t.
The letters correspond to which mascaras were used. LS equals Lash Sculpt while LB stands for Lash Brag.
I have to mention that I was quite impressed with this travel size with how weighty it feels in the hand. This mascara packaging could not have been cheap, especially with the extra details like the logo on the cap and the metallic looking gold rim at the tube’s opening.
What I like about this mascara is that it gives length, but if I spend enough time with it, I can also get some volume. There’s no flaking or smudging. When I go for a second coat (needed for the volume) it can start to get clumps at the tips but by the time I finish fully brushing through the lashes, they are combed out and gone. Also, after the mascara dries, my lashes feel soft to the touch and not stiff or stuck in one direction.
Part of what makes this a bit time consuming to apply is that the formula gives me trouble with initially sticking to my lashes. When I accidentally got mascara on my eye, I was going to let it dry before trying to wipe it away, but the drop ended up falling off by itself leaving barely any evidence behind. When it does stick to the lashes, it’s like it skips parts of the strand and builds on the tips or the base of the lashes, often skipping the middle. I have to continually brush through to get it looking even. I believe it’s also difficult to build volume because it feels like the wand bristles aren’t close enough together and brushing through my lashes aren’t touching all my lashes in every swipe due to those gaps. So, I have to wiggle the brush back and forth to add as much product onto the lashes as I can and then comb them through and repeat. I get it to look the best I can, wait a minute, and then proceed with the second coat which is where I finally get some volume and extra length. So, this mascara does end up doing both just as is claimed, but it takes longer than my other mascaras to get there. However, this mascara’s benefit is how much better it is at looking uniform and clump free with this level of length and volume that does end up looking as good, or better than a few of my mascara favorites.
So, I’m happy to use this up, but I don’t know if I’ll repurchase it. I still prefer how quickly I can complete applying my other mascaras in just one coat since I’m impatient, even at the cost of the lashes looking a little wilder.
This mascara’s focus is on volume. I don’t get any clumping, smudging or flaking. The brush part of the wand is shaped in away that’s good at separating the lashes while still building volume. Just like the newer ABH mascara, once the product dries on my eyes, my lashes are left feeling soft and flexible to the touch instead of stiff.
I have to mention the packaging again with this one because it’s weighty like the Lash Sculpt tube, with the additional factor of the cap actually being a magnetic metal (in the photo above I show my triangular magnet attached to the cap). I’m not sure if this was weighted intentionally for balance in holding, the way some makeup brushes are intentionally weighted. There’s also a pretty rose gold-into-black ombre design. Anastasia Beverly Hills certainly puts a lot of money into their mascara components. I don’t understand why they’d give mascaras (something that gets tossed out or used up quickly) better packaging than some of their staple products, but perhaps it pays off more than I know.
The downside with this one is that it doesn’t give quite as much length as my favorite mascaras, and even leaves slightly less volume than some of them, despite specializing in volume. I can at least get it closer to my favorites if I spend a lot of time building it up using the same application techniques as the Lash Sculpt mascara, but I’d rather use my favorites that are cheaper and quicker to build. So, I intended to use this up, but I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing another one either.
While we’re at it, lets review the KVD mascara I got from the Trendmood box.
KVD Beauty Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing Mascara
I actually just bought this mascara prior to the launch of the Trendmood box when Ulta had a 10x the points on mascara event. It would have been very bad if I ended up having two full tubes of a mascara I didn’t like, but I consider myself lucky because I like it. And now I have a backup!
This is my first real foray into tubing mascaras. I remember using one or two when I was much younger with very little makeup knowledge. I didn’t like them at the time because I didn’t know they were supposed to come off in tubes, so it scared me off. It wasn’t until recent years that I thought I should give them another try.
The best part about this mascara is that I don’t get any clumping, flaking, or smudging. In fact, it doesn’t smear as much when removing it and in the moments when my eyes get watery, I can wipe the tear away without getting smudges either. The issue I have is that it can take a while to build up to my desired length and thickness. The quickest way I can achieve the result I want is to use a wiggling motion to build up to the acceptable level in the first coat, wait a minute, and then add another layer. It’s recommended to apply additional coats while still wet (to avoid clumping), but my way works best for me. Also, the tip end being bulbous required me to be very careful and deliberate in trying to reach the innermost lashes without accidentally touching my skin and getting mascara on it. Then I learned the brush is meant to be flipped from the horizontal position to the vertical position when it comes to the inner corners and lower lash line, so I’m able to reach them easier now.
When it comes to removal, using warm water and trying to slide the mascara off my lashes with my fingers feels more time consuming than when I just use a wipe with Bioderma, so I personally skip that and just remove my mascara the way I normally do with others.
Also, I have to mention the artwork on this tube is really cool and the component feels like aluminum. It’s nowhere near as weighty as the ABH mascaras, not that it matters. It’s just something I found interesting.
Really cool packaging is my weakness, but I try to not let that be the reason I buy a mascara since it’s going to be tossed out in a matter of months. The time when I have a hard time resisting is if a favorite mascara of mine gets released in new limited edition packaging. Then it’s hard to talk myself out of it because I already know it’s something I like, and will get use out of while getting to admire it looking pretty.
My final point regarding mascaras is that all three had no issues with flaking, which has been such a relief because the Huda 1 Coat Wow and Benefit Fan Fest mascaras that launched recently both had that issue for me, and worse than I’ve had from mascaras in a long time. Also, I’ve recently tried the L’Oreal Telescopic Lift Washable Mascara which gave length and volume very quickly, but at the expense of being prone to being clumpy if I spend too much time building it up (I think as it tries to dry). Plus, I can feel it stiffen my lashes, and not just to the touch with my fingers. I can literally feel the mascara on my lashes while I wear it, which can be uncomfortable at times. It’s at least as easy to remove as they say.
I figured I may as well throw in these comments on other mascaras because I love trying new mascaras but I don’t enjoy reviewing them and don’t see myself doing another one of these for a very long time.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Nouveau Eyeshadow Palette
This palette doesn’t have the rough texture issue, and the eyeshadows are in fact incredibly soft to the touch because they feel like they were given light-medium pressure when machine pressed into the pans. Considering the fact that this palette isn’t as hard pressed, yet still manages to have slightly less kickup than the Fall Romance palette (though still more than I experience with the majority of palettes), is fascinating. Nouveau and the Rose Metals palettes have been praised as being softer than ABH’s prior eyeshadow formula with better color payoff, but I think it really comes down to the press making a difference. ABH’s palettes prior to the release of Nouveau had mattes that were buttery feeling and shimmers with less slip. These mattes are soft because they’re powdery and not due to them being creamy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the previous eyeshadow formula was more expensive than this newer one in recent years. The way they’ve pressed the eyeshadows allow them to perform just as well, or in some ways even better than the older palettes, but I think Fall Romance falls victim to what happens when working with rougher pigments and needing to better adjust the ingredients for adherence. Fall Romance mattes would likely have Subculture level kickup if pressed lighter, which is why I think it’s a formula problem with the eyeshadow particles not being better binded to each other because of the darker colorful pigments requiring a lot more tweaking in formula than the lighter and neutral shadows the brand tends to stick to most of the time.
As I mentioned, this palette’s shadows are lightly pressed. My shade Lili was actually a little broken, but I was able to press it back so well and easily (no liquid added) that it looks practically untouched in the product photo above!
The eyeshadows don’t want to get in the deepest line in my crease, but other than that, I have no other issues of creasing, moving, or fading. The mattes blend well. The shimmers are a little less impactful than I would like, but they’re still quite pretty. I love the tones of the shades in this palette. I only have two complaints, which are Wisteria being the typical pastel that is too thin and has to be caked on like crazy to stick to and last on my eyes, plus has a lot of white in the base that shows ashier white and less purple than how it would look on someone else with lighter skin than mine. Also, other than using Wisteria as a pop in my inner corner, I have struggled to complete looks with Wisteria in any other spot around the eyes and have it look good. This shade just does not go with the rest of the color story. My other complaint is that many of these color groupings (the greens together and the orange family) have the same depth, so there is very little differentiation on my eyes if I wear them in the same looks. I would have loved a deep green and/or dark terracotta so I could use something other than Muse to darken the outer corner.
Peacock looks so exciting, seeing as its a duochrome, but it’s let down by the shimmer particles being so muted. This kind of color is super popular from even mainstream brands. I used to have a color like it from Too Faced as a single back in 2015, and this is about as good as that one was (which is a bad thing considering how long ago that was). They don’t stack up to the shine and shift from some of the brands found in Sephora with updated formulas like Pat Mcgrath and Danessa Myricks.
Overall, I like this palette, but I don’t recommend buying it at full price. I’m glad I bought it to satisfy my curiosity, and for being able to understand the direction the brand is taking their eyeshadows now. I really enjoy using it in the moment, but when I think about other palettes I truly love, this purchase could have been skipped.
APRILSKIN Artemisia Rice Toner
This has 80% Korean Mugwort extract, which is why it’s from the Artemisia line (mugwort’s scientific name being Artemisia vulgaris). I don’t believe I’ve ever used a skincare product with mugwort prior to this one, but I’m becoming a lot more interested now after the results I’ve had. My box arrived October 11th, and since that time I’ve been using this toner frequently. There are quite a few claims that are advertised, such as soothing skin irritation (mugwort), boosting skin elasticity, reducing bumpiness, addressing uneven skin tone (rice bran water), and improving internal hydration and external moisture (four different hyaluronic acids). I don’t know which ingredient is supposed to boost skin elasticity unless they mean how the skin behaves when it’s hydrated (going back to the hyaluronic acids then) versus dehydrated. For the reducing bumpiness part, I also don’t know if they mean that by inflamed pimples being soothed and calmed, the inflammation will go down and thus be smaller in size? If so, that sounds like a stretch to me and it’s probably better for customers to only expect to get hydration, skin soothing, and brightening elements from this product. Those three are the ones I’ve personally observed.
I tend to just use this at night and my skin feels adequately hydrated after putting it on, to the point that I don’t feel the need to overload my face with moisturizers. Despite the external moisture claim in which the thinnest layer of film is left on the skin (enough to see in the light but not feel it on face), I don’t feel it’s occlusive enough and so I still need at least one other layer of product, but the fact that I don’t feel the need for something heavy duty is amazing. It’s especially helpful because even though I have dry skin, my pores only tolerate lightweight things and too heavy of creams cause a clogging problem. By getting hydration and moisture from a toner, using my regular lightweight serums and moisturizers seems even more effective.
As for the skin soothing, I didn’t notice anything until my skin was getting irritated from doing repeated swatching and wiping off of products on my face. Because I’ve been trying to figure out which products to bring with me on my trip to Germany, I needed to actually see them on myself to refresh my memory. The constant rubbing was making my skin hurt, but after cleansing my face at night and applying this toner, my cheeks felt less painful. I’m guessing it’s from both the mugwort and rehydrating ingredients to replenish what was stripped from my skin from the makeup removers and cleanser.
My skin looks glowier and less dull, but I can’t tell if it’s only due to that thin veil of residue/film that is left on the skin, or if my skin has actually been brightened. I feel like my areas of hyperpigmentation that look deep ashy grey-black don’t look quite as dull anymore, even before I apply the product, but I don’t know whether I can credit the toner or other skincare I’ve been using. Regardless, the other benefits are enough bonuses for me to continue wanting to use it. I like that this doesn’t have alcohol or witch hazel and that the slight herbal scent (which seems natural because I don’t see fragrance on the ingredient list) is extremely mild.
I’m quite happy with this product and plan to keep observing it to see if there will be other advantages to using it long-term.
Sigma Beauty Lip Cream in Dapper
There was a possibility of getting either Dusty Rose, Begonia, Dapper, New Mod, or Rosewood in this box. I think Begonia is the only one guaranteed to be too light for me. I might have liked the other shades as well, but Dapper being a pink-purple “warm hibiscus neutral,” looks nearly natural on me considering my mix of lip colors.
The lips look juicy/plump with this on, feels creamy and comfortable, has a bit of a slight staining effect, isn’t completely removed after eating, and clings to the lips quite well. The downside is the same as the majority of lip products with color in them, that my lips will still end up being drier and I will see spots that are peeling at the end of the day. So, I still need to condition them at night to not have the problem exacerbate.
Em Cosmetics Soft Blur Velvet Lip Liner in Foxy
It was possible to get either Bunny, Teddy, or Foxy in this box. I’m glad I got Foxy because it’s the only shade from Em Cosmetics that can function as a proper lip liner color for me. However, it is still darker than I typically wear. It’s great paired with Sigma’s Dapper though.
I like that it glides on smoothly because it has a slight creaminess to it, but not enough to slide around everywhere. I’m able to soften the edges without fear of totally wiping it off. It’s not waterproof or budgeproof, but it clings fairly well to my lips. By the end of the night, without touching anything up, I can still see it around 60-70% of my lip line depending on what type of food I ate that day.
I’m happy to have this item and plan on using it up, but I don’t think I’ll purchase a new one when it’s done. This is mainly because I prefer a formula that’s soft when I apply it, yet dries down to the point that it becomes hard to budge. This one has the emollient level I like, but doesn’t have the water-resistant factor. So I’ll continue reaching for the other lip liners in my collection along with this one.
Swirl and Sparkle Solid Makeup Brush Cleanser (Trendmood Edition)
I never heard of this brand prior to the inclusion in this box, so I had to do a little research. They make all kinds of “handcrafted vegan, cruelty-free, and all-natural” solid brush cleansers in various colors, scents, and shapes within the container. The scent of this one is Toasted Marshmallow, which is their most popular one. That smell isn’t very heavy, it’s pleasant, and fades quickly, so I don’t mind it being there.
It appears, based on the website, that $25 for 1 ounce is the typical price point from their offerings. My main arsenal of products I use for brush cleaning are the Blendercleanser Solid at $18 for 0.55 oz and the Rephr soap at $25 for 60 grams. I only buy the Rephr soap when it’s discounted (which happens frequently) and I have a stash of several minis of Beautyblender’s soaps that were either included with the Beautyblender, part of a free gift with purchase set, or redeemable for 100 points via Sephora. So, I’m used to spending a lot less or nothing at all for those two products. I also reach for the Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Liquid Soap when I need something heavier duty, and my 4 ounce bottle (in conjunction with the other products) lasted me three years and was $6 at the time from Amazon. I’ve also recently been using the Chikuhodo Makeup Brush Cleaner* which is practically a detergent and apparently contains surfactants. That one cost me $11 for 100ml. The container is meant to hold 115 ml so it will arrive looking like a lot of liquid is missing.
*Note: The link to the Chikuhodo brush cleaner is an affiliate link. Making a purchase using it on CDJapan will generate commission. This is the only affiliate link in this review. Any other links are regular non-affiliated ones.
If I’m trying to deal with stubborn stains, I use Cinema Secrets Lemon Makeup Brush Cleaner (the colorless one). It’s extremely harsh on brushes, so I don’t recommend it, but I admittedly use it on rare occasions and sparingly. Plus it leaves a film on my brushes, so I always feel compelled to wash it again afterwards. Some cleansers I’ve tried, but dislike, are the Beautyblender Instaclean (left brushes feeling oily) and the liquid version of Blendercleanser didn’t do as good of a job as the solid from my viewpoint.
I recently bought the Sephora Mini Daily Brush Cleaner, but haven’t used it yet because I misplaced it.
I say all this to show the wide variety of products I’ve experienced cleaning my brushes with from gentle ones to some that are harsh, and those products set the bar for the kind of results I’m expecting.
I began by washing my synthetic brushes, natural hair brushes, and then moved onto the brushes that are super dense and tend to give me the most trouble cleaning. For example, the Patrick Ta contour brush pictured in the top left of the photo below shows remnants of product that I missed being able to see when it rolled down with the water and collected onto the fiber tips. This kind of thing usually only happens with my thickest densest brushes like Tarte’s The Buffer and The Blur brushes. The Swirl and Sparkle soap easily took care of my Patrick Ta brush, which would have been bad if it didn’t considering it was just leftover product on the brush. The bigger test was comparing how it would do with Tarte’s The Blur brush with several uses of foundation built up on the bristles. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me any better results than I usually have with the rephr soap or beautyblender solid soap. It took quite a few repeated washings to get it looking clean as clean is it is in the bottom right quadrant of the photo, and even still, when the brush dried I was able to see some remnants on the tips, just like with the Patrick Ta brush.
I should note that I don’t do more than 3-4 washes on a face brush at one time. I find that it becomes counterproductive with the bristles being too saturated with water and at risk of damaging the brush even though I let them hang upside down to keep water out of the ferrule. So, I find that it’s better to squeeze out the excess, let it dry partway, and wash it once more before leaving it alone to dry completely.
For normal brushes, this brush cleaner seemed at first to be working quicker than Beautyblender and Rephr’s soaps. The bristles were literally feeling squeaky clean on both synthetic hair and natural alike. However, when the brushes were fully dried and I rubbed my fingers over the bristles, it feel like there was soap residue still on them. So, I had to rewash the whole batch. The next time I was on a brush cleaning spree, I remembered this and made sure to wash the bristles out extra thoroughly, even more than I spend with any other brush cleaner. This helped reduce the amount of residue, but there was in fact still residue. The whole reason I was feeling the hair in the first place is because the heads were dried exactly in the shape of the way they looked when I squeezed out the water, which I guess is further indication that some kind of product was weighing down the bristles and preventing them from puffing out.
Now, I know this soap contains oil, so I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be conditioning the brush and the residue is intentional. I don’t know if the fact that I don’t wipe my brushes on a towel (recommended by the brand for the purpose of a quicker drying time) would have also wiped that residue off the hair before being set aside to dry. I can attest that the residue is at least not dirty leftover product because the water runs clear when I try to wash them again, so it might be a conditioning thing. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Also, my brushes take about 30% longer to dry using this soap than when I use my other brush cleaning products. So, I guess squeezing the water out really isn’t enough and pre-drying them on a towel before air-drying them is essential.
In the photo above, I wanted to show a random thing that happened when part of the top layer came off. I can’t explain why this happened. I rinsed it off and put it back with the rest of the soap and was able to continue using the rest of the lifted off piece for another giant brush washing session.
I apologize for the next image being pretty gross, but I felt it best to show what happened around the third or fourth time I used this product. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after I washed a giant batch of brushes that I saw the spots around the edges of the container. So, I hadn’t even attempted to rinse off the dirty residue yet.
Please be warned!
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According to the website, the directions say, “With your very last clean brush, use it to swirl + clean off any residue in the container under water. Air dry the lid + container before locking + loading it for next time.”
After use, it’s my practice to literally clean off the top layer (as instructed) with the last brush and as little water as possible. Then I hold it upside down and try to shake out any lingering drops. I then set the tin in the area I keep the rest of the brushes. I let it air dry with the lid off for a minimum of 12 hours. Usually I wash my brushes in the morning, so I put the lid back on the soap just before bed. If I wash them later in the day, the lid remains off overnight. So, if 12 or more hours is too short of a time to let it air dry, there should be a mention of this on the website or extra instructions on keeping the soap tin as hygienic and clean as possible. I feel like this was an inevitable issue considering I noticed that while I was washing the brushes, I could see some water seeping between the canister and edge of the soap, even though I couldn’t see any space there. It somehow still was getting a tiny bit lower around the edges.
When I use my Beautyblender solid, I basically keep the soap on a surface to air dry, the scrubbing piece to air dry, and wipe the plastic container completely dry before leaving that open as well. Then at the end of the night I put them all back together. So, I was concerned that this soap being stuck in this container and not being removable could potentially have this issue since I was following directions and not trying to wipe it down.
So, my advise is to either take a sharp object and remove the soap and place it into a different container (the brand seems to have some soaps in plastic containers instead, which might be better) or to wipe off the edges of the sides as an extra precaution against water sitting in there. Then again, if water is seeping between the soap and the container edge, this might not help as a towel would be unable to reach it. So, cutting the soap out of it so it can be placed back in when after everything is dry might be the better plan.
I should also note that in my last use, I did have my brushes near the soap and it’s possible some drops got onto the soap during the drying process, but I don’t let my brushes dry in soaking condition. I squeeze them out, so there shouldn’t have been dripping water. I’ll still offer the benefit of the doubt. However, this just might not be a product suited for me and my needs. I still have 2 Rephr soaps (my current one is almost finished) and 2 Blendercleanser solid minis as backups, so I’m all set.
Bondi Boost Miracle Hair Mask
I did not expect to like this product, but I was pleasantly surprised! I’m a total noob when it comes to hair care. All I can really say is that prior to this year (because I’d essentially given up trying to find a good mask and just made do with conditioners I like), there wasn’t any mask I tried that did much for my hair. In fact, some made my hair feel worse. When I tried the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask, I said to myself, “Hey, this actually did a little something,” and was willing to settle for that. Then, I got the Function of Beauty Pro Conditioner Mask, which worked even better! I haven’t been able to test it enough yet to be completely sold, but I was pleased with the results.
The Bondi Boost Hair Mask is supposed to be used once a week, so between all the other hair products I’m trying out now (to figure out what to bring on my trip), I haven’t had the opportunity to use it more than a few times. However, I’m a new fan! I have super dry hair, and using this made noticeable improvements. I can’t see it as much from what my hair looks like once it’s dry, but I can tell the difference in looks and it being significantly softer when I combine it with my usual other hair products. It’s like this mask helps my hair to absorb more moisture, look more hydrated, and stay hydrated for longer. I haven’t been this pleased with a hair product since my discovery of the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector.
I’m not sure how much credit I should give this mask if I’m not satisfied with the results of the product by itself. However, I’m not a hair reviewer. For my own personal experiences, what matters most to me is how I can best use anything to get improved results, and if the combination of this mask with other products means that my hair looks healthier (and at a price that doesn’t completely break the bank), I’m all for it.
Anti-Chafe Stick with Shea Butter + Colloidal Oatmeal (mini/deluxe sample)
I tried this product once and then lost it until literally the day before my trip. It’s so small and I had products all over the place because of my packing and simultaneous decluttering. So, I can’t really say much about it, except that it felt fine on the skin (not greasy). I’ve never used any other Anti-chafe specific product, so I have nothing to compare it to either. To anyone hoping for more details on this one, I’m sorry!
I hope everything else in this review has been helpful! Thank you for reading!
DISCLOSURE: I purchased the items discussed in this post on May 2o, 2023 with my own money. I’m not affiliated with the brand. However, to save 10% on the items, I used Tina’s affiliate code FANCYFACE, which will give her commission, but any influencer’s code will work on most items on the website. Just passing along that information. The actual links in this specific post are regular non-affiliated ones.
Oden’s eye released the Jord’s Divine Collection consisting of two palettes, Jewels & Gem plus Stone & Rock, in addition to various pieces of jewelry. I liked the color selections of the palettes, but they looked too similar to shadows I already have (just not put together in one single palette), so I decided to hold off on buying those. As for jewelry, I don’t tend to wear it often, but these were so cute that I decided to go ahead and buy the ones calling to me the most.
The left side of photos above and below is called Jewel Story: Ear Cuff And Studs With Chain. That pair comes with the knot bound heart and attached chain cuff for one ear. The other ear gets that knot bound heart alone as a stud. The right side of photos above and below is called Jewel Story: Pink Heart Stud Earrings on their website. It comes with two identical heart earrings.
Those are the specifications listed on the website for the ones I chose to purchase. My biggest worry was that these might eventually turn or change color based purely on my past experience wearing earrings not made from precious metals, but nothing has happened to them thus far. They don’t turn my skin green and I have indeed sweat in them several times. I don’t keep them in anything special like anti-tarnish tabs. I just store them in the original plastic ziplock within the pink pouches.
They feel quite durable and are a bit on the large side and a bit heavier than I normally wear, but they’re still comfortable to wear. The chains on the cuff get twisted around each other while I wear it and the cuff part falls down while wearing it sometimes, but it doesn’t happen enough to bother me. Both sets have what I believe are called bullet clutch ear nuts, which I was so glad to see was without the plastic pads that are annoying to remove. In order to keep them in securely, I do feel the need to push the backing pretty close/tight, but not to a level of discomfort.
I’m quite pleased with the quality and would consider purchasing new styles in the future. It’s just that I’m more of a jewelry admirer than wearer, so I try not to buy pieces too often. I still wanted to review these for those who were curious if a makeup brand could release something good. Hopefully this helped!
M001 Lola
I believe it was earlier this year when the brand released single eyeshadows to absolutely horrible reviews. None of the influencers discussed the quality and just showcased how they looked. However, it was through social media and even the blogging sphere where I heard complaints about fading/disappearing, insane creasing, etc. There were inconsistencies as well as to which shades were the troublesome ones. I believe the consensus was that these had too much oil in them. If I’m remembering correctly, I believe Odens Eye made them unavailable for about a month or so before they were “back” and I hoped perhaps they’d change the formula. However, they did not publicly address any of this. For a while, that really bothered me considering how much I value transparency between brands and their customers.
Since I wanted to hit the free shipping minimum, I bought Lola along with the single eyeshadow container so I could test it for myself.
The first time I tried it, I said to myself, “Wow…this is terrible.” It’s a beautiful multichrome, but it gave me the worst creasing I’ve ever experienced from an eyeshadow. After a few hours, half of it was literally gone from my lids. It only stayed near my lash line. I decided to try it once more, but as a topper with some mattes underneath to try and keep that spot a little more dry. That helped it, but it wasn’t the prettiest to look at.
When I finally decided to start working on this post, I realized I misplaced the pictures I took showing how bad they looked afterwards, so I had to photograph them again. This was about three months later, shown below. Granted, I still had mattes in the crease, but it actually stayed on my lids and looked just like the photo all day! I guess it needed all that time to dry out, or perhaps having a thick matte is still the way to go.
Because of those initial first experiences with the shadow, I’m still wary about using it. I’m also still wary about recommending them, but I wanted to at least share my experience. Considering the prices of the single eyeshadows and multichromes, I personally think buying full palettes from Odens Eye is the way to go anyway.
For those curious, I do think for Black Friday* I’ll end up buying the Stone & Rock palette and the reformulated Norn’s palette. My orders from the brand take a minimum of three weeks to arrive, and I’ll be in Germany by then so I’ll need to have it shipped there. Oden’s Eye brought back the Christmas Palettes from last year, along with releasing two new ones this year. Even though the holiday ones rank highest among my Oden’s Eye Collection, I won’t be buying the new ones even on sale. A few of the colors are pretty, but the reviews I’ve seen from trusted sources were not good. So, I’ll be passing on them this time.
*I haven’t seen Oden’s Eye release the info yet**, but according to Angie, her palette collab might be 30% off and the other items on the website should be 40-50% off. I’m not sure if that stacks onto already discounted products or if that 40-50% also applies to jewelry and other accessories. Influencer codes supposedly stack, but not on collab items. For instance, Angelica’s ANGESCHKA code or Tina’s FANCYFACE should give an extra 10% off using those affiliated codes. According to Angie, the sale starts November 23rd, but I’m not sure in what region and what time. It should be ongoing until the 28th.
**UPDATE: Christmas Holiday items are excluded from the Black Friday sale. The sale will begin 10:00 am US Eastern Time. Influencer collab products are 30% off (codes don’t apply). All accessories, like jewelry, will be 50% off and influencer codes will stack an extra percent off. Everything else should be starting at 50% off that the influencer code can stack onto for additional discounts as well.
I will be leaving Europe soon, which means I’ll need some time to properly test out all the new items I purchased and had shipped home to the US. In the week or longer that I might need a break in order to finish certain posts I’m still working on, I thought it would be fun to discuss the newest beauty products that have been released, and some that are upcoming. I guess this could also be considered a, “Will I buy it?” type of post in case anyone wanted to know whether to expect a review from me about certain products in the future!
Photo credit is shown in the screenshots and linked to the original Instagram accounts.
This was a last minute update to the post before it was published. Apparently we can expect cream blushes in the Skin Enhancer formula from Makeup by Mario. I would have thought it’s possible that the container is smaller than it appears and could be a color corrector line since the brand already has cream blushes in stick form, but that didn’t stop them from coming out with the original Skin Enhancers despite having cream stick bronzers too.
I never tried the Enhancers because I heard they were more on the sheer side, and for that reason I think I will be skipping this release. I tend to prefer medium or higher pigmentation with the ability to apply a small amount and blend it out to be on the more sheer or natural side. I don’t like to do the reverse with cream products where I would need to add more and more layers to build up to the amount of color I want, at the expense of it potentially feeling heavier or sticky/not setting to a dry finish. I have no idea how it would perform, but the other reason I don’t think I’ll buy it is because I already have a gorgeous color (Earthy Pink) in the Soft Pop Blush Stick line from them and I almost never use it anymore. I’d rather not spend money on another one for it to meet the same fate.
Dolce Vita and Brazen are the two most appealing shades for me out of the six, and especially Dolce Vita since I picked up that shade in the powder blush several months ago and find it to be quite pretty. Based on the claims of it being skincare infused, streakless, and transfer-resistant, I’m especially interested. The shiny and not fully opaque look to them reminds me of either two things: a lightweight buildable coverage product like the Glossier Cloud Paints that are a fantastic formula, or something dewy and serum-like such as the Colourpop Serum Blushes I hated. So, I could really love it or hate it. Plus, I don’t really know how different this formula will be compared to the other liquid blushes from Nars that have extremely mixed reviews.
So, I will ultimately skip getting these. In my opinion, Rare Beauty and Glossier have the perfect liquid blush formulas for those who want pigmentation or those who want something buildable. Both of their products are in the $20 range, so I’d rather stick with something that can’t get any more perfect (other than shade color) rather than try something more expensive that could only hope to be just as good, if we let go of the extra skincare benefits.
Every year, I steadily become a bigger fan of Huda Beauty and the sub brands. My positive experience with the brand is the only reason I find this release intriguing, because I am usually dissatisfied with products intended for cheeks and lips combined. At best, I tend to like them for only one of the two purposes. So, I wonder to myself, could Huda’s team have found the exception to the rule? I won’t be the one to find out. I’d rather not make a purchase purely because it’s coming from a brand I like. If I took the Huda name away from the image and asked myself if this would be appealing if it came from the drugstore or a medium/high end brand I didn’t recognize…would I still want it? The answer is honestly no. So, for the sake of my low-buy I’m still attempting to keep in mind, I’m going to pass on it.
I recently decluttered the L’oreal Infallible foundation that I was using as a bronzer (prior to the bronzer release), so it feels like I shouldn’t add another product from the line to my collection. However, with how soft and smooth that powder was, I can just imagine it being lovely in a blush form. In addition, this line has a coral and a rosewood that are two of my favorite types of blush colors. Considering the more “affordable” price compared to some of the expensive ones of late that I’ve purchased, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist this release for long. If I had zero experience with the Infallible line, I think I could have talked myself out of it, but knowing chances are very high that I’ll like it makes it even more difficult deny myself from getting them. And yes, I would likely get both Fearless Coral and Daring Rosewood unless it turns out the colors are inaccurately depicted.
I like the Rose Feu matte blush I own from Hermes, but the fact that I barely use it was a strong enough reason for me to consider banning myself from buying more. However, the moment I learned that these additional shades had an “iridescent finish,” and that the Rose Cuivre shade has gold shimmer, instead of silver as I feared, my interest grew exponentially. I can at least say that I will not be purchasing this in the compact. If I do choose to get this shade, it would have to be in the refill form and I would put it in a spare backup compact from another brand. I remember hearing something about the “refill” aspect not being as simple as they make it seem (like if they would have to be glued in if it’s not magnetic), but I have items I could use to deal with that problem if that’s the case.
So, this one is a maybe for me. I might get it if my willpower is low, but I am going to actively try to pretend it doesn’t exist.
I thought this would be an easy pass until I made the mistake of watching Tania’s YT video on them. It’s very true that I’m trying to avoid cream and liquid (especially liquid) blushes, bronzers, and most especially highlighters. They don’t last as long as powders and come in sizes I’ll never use up before the suggested period after opening date. The reason this is suddenly appealing is because I truly enjoyed the KVD Mod Contour, because when it looked perfect it was perfect, but when I applied it wrong somehow then it looked so bad I’d have to remove it, reapply foundation, and try again. I also loved the Glossier Solar Paints, but it’s just too sparkly/shimmery. So, the review from Tania saying it was so incredibly easy to use and blended in beautifully makes me feel a pining sensation at the idea of having something like those two I mentioned, but without the flaws. I have plenty of bronzers and have mentioned a few times on this blog that I don’t want to be tempted by more of them. However, I absolutely love a bronzer that melts into the skin, which is why creams and baked gelees are at the top of my ranking lists, and this product has the potential to do that. This is the biggest reason I’ve entertained the idea because it could potentially surpass my Charlotte Tilbury cream one if the color, depth, and formula work out.
Realistically though, this would add time to my routine. I’d need to either use a makeup palette or the back of my hand to drip the drops onto before applying it to my face. Then, I’d have to clean up the leftover drops. The only time this wouldn’t matter is if I was wearing my Rose Inc serum foundation, which I pump out onto the back of my hand and have to wipe off with some Bioderma anyway. And perhaps I’d be saving time if it’s as blendable as described, though I barely have to blend my top favorite bronzers much anyway. The price is currently the biggest deterrent. It wouldn’t be the most expensive bronzer in my collection, but there’s still a question of whether I’d actually get my money’s worth if I bought it. So, I’m going to get it, but I won’t be shy about returning it if it isn’t exactly what I’m looking for. Unlike liquid blushes that brands have nailed, it’s my experience that liquid highlighters can be quite hit or miss (tend to be too metallic looking for my taste, disturbs makeup underneath, or sets on the face like a stripe because it doesn’t blend in well enough). I’ve yet to find the perfect liquid bronzer either, so to have something unlike anything else in my collection makes the curiosity factor quite strong. And that’s why I ended up placing my order just before this review went up.
I’ve been curious about trying Beekman 1802 skincare, so the fact that this is now branching into makeup is extremely appealing! This product is supposed to be a primer with SPF benefits, another appealing attribute, but I mostly was interested in using this as an actual skin tint for natural skin days. The color Rich looks best for me, however, the promo images for the shade Deep has me thinking this will not work out. The model using Deep looks lighter than me (but the photo also looks a bit washed out, so perhaps that’s the issue), plus the close up makes it look so grey tinged, milky, and light on her skin. It’s the same type of issue many foundations with SPF above 30 have in leaving a cast or unnatural tint on top of dark skin due to the specific active ingredients as the sunscreen.
For this reason, I’m going to pass. Even if the casket-ready quality gets covered up with foundation, I didn’t intend to use this product properly as a primer, so I shouldn’t get it. Perhaps if it ever winds up in one of Ulta’s “Beauty Steal” deals for 50% off, I’d consider it. I don’t use primers enough to warrant getting full sizes, so mine don’t usually surpass the $35 mark.
Rituel de Fille 3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation
Because I’ve been liking the Rituel de Fille Thorn Oil and have been considering buying an oil based foundation specifically to pair with it, this product definitely sparks my interest. After all the past issues I’ve had with the brand’s products (my lanolin allergy and their preservation methods) I took a long break from buying their products until I gave Thorn Oil a try last year. Now, I’m a bit more willing to test more of their offerings. I think Potion #180 might be the shade for me, so I’m planning to purchase a sample from their website (if that becomes an option) and see how that goes before committing to buying the full-size bottle. Even though I have dry skin, I need to make sure that it wouldn’t be too heavy or glowy on my skin. I only use 2-3 drops of Thorn Oil (the brand recommends 5-10 drops depending on the intended areas of use), because my skin takes forever to absorb more than that. So, I don’t know if 2-3 of Thorn Oil plus 1-3 of this foundation might be too much. This is why I’m a little more tentative about just buying it immediately.
Considering the original Shape Tape concealer is the most repurchased makeup in my collection and I’ve gone through countless tubes in various shades, it’s no surprise that my ears perk up the moment something new with the Shape Tape name comes into existence. However, I absolutely hated the creamy version and even though I have Sahara dry under eyes, I still don’t tend to like the look of luminous or radiant concealers under my eyes (especially when it’s shinier than the rest of my face). So, right away, I’m not interested in buying this one. In addition, it’s described as being medium coverage, when the whole reason I liked the original was for its full coverage goodness.
Even though this is clearly not a release for me, I understand the move from Tarte wanting to reach the consumers who disliked the original because it was said to look too drying or too heavy. So, to those who are thrilled to now have this option, I’m happy for them and hope it works out.
SKINCARE
Lisa Eldridge Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser, Luxuriously Gentle Cleansing & Exfoliating Cloths, and Skin and Makeup Enhancing Mist
I’m going to start off by saying I purchased the Cleansing Duo, which contains the cleanser and the cloths. This is one of the purchases I’m excited to try out when I’m able to open the package when I’m back in the US. I’ve been staunch in my belief that a cleanser shouldn’t be expensive since it gets washed off too quickly for any active ingredients to give skincare benefits. And for that reason, I’ve stuck to my decision to not spend more than $25 on a cleanser. However, there’s a first time for everything and in watching Lisa Eldridge’s video, I was able to rationalize why this one should be the exception to my rule.
The first reason is that, according to Lisa, the cleanser is clinically proven to remove all traces of SPF, intense makeup, and so on which removes the need to double cleanse. My version of double cleansing is to use either a makeup wipe (Skinfood Rice Brightening Cleansing Tissue pack of 80 for $12) or Makeup Eraser ($20) with my Bioderma ($18 or more for 500ml) as the first round of makeup removal. Then, I go in with a gentle cleanser or heavy duty one depending on how many layers were on my face (typically something in the $18-$25 range). I also own cleansers and face washes for non-makeup days that I keep in my shower that are also $25 or under. So, my full cleanser arsenal adds up to being way more than the cost of Lisa’s cleanser since I use multiple products. If I feel truly confident that this can replace several steps and several products, it could be worth it. Especially since I go through 2 Skinfood wipe packages and at least 2 bottles of Bioderma a year, so the bottle’s 200 uses within the cleanser bottle requiring probably 2 purchases a year still evens out.
The second reason I decided to break my own rules is that this is supposed to be used on the skin for longer than a normal cleanser (at least 2 minutes if used as a treatment mask) and was clinically proven after 2 minutes to increase the skin’s hydration by 75%. So, there is time for this cleanser to have some additional benefits. Lisa’s details about the ingredients that make this special, the efficacy, sustainability of packaging, no added fragrance, etc. is why this could be a holy grail skincare situation for me. We shall see!
As for the cleansing cloths, they looked to be a comparable size to the Makeup Eraser cloths (though square shaped instead of long and ovular), but you get two for $12 versus one for $20 (or $10 when it goes on sale at Ulta). If this turns out to be just as good as the ones I’m used to, or better, I’ll be thrilled. As part of the cleansing duo, they’re basically 2 for $6 and double-sided just like the Makeup Eraser, so that seemed definitely worth trying out.
I decided not to get the Skin and Makeup Mist because I’m very set in my ways. For the skin, I love the Skin House Aloe Water Mist (though I wish it was fragrance free) and for melting my makeup I like the MAC Fix+ and those two products combined are less expensive than Lisa’s product. Although she talked about what made hers special in the video, I didn’t feel like the extra benefits that made it better than what I’m already using was worth the increased price I’d be paying. In addition, even though I do go through mists and sprays, it takes me a super long time. I don’t go through them quickly, so my semi-newly repurchased ones are going to last me the rest of this year. I don’t need anything except maybe a setting spray to actually make my makeup last longer. Now, if Lisa’s brand comes out with something that locks in makeup (like Urban Decay All Nighter) or makes it nearly waterproof without needing to resort to alcohol or other harsh ingredients, that would be the kind of innovation that would make me jump up and buy it.
Prepare for a rant on this one because I’m salty! I’m salty and jealous! Do you see the gloriousness of that bronzer’s packaging? Stunning! The highlighter packaging is pretty as well. Lip products are something I can usually pass on (when I haven’t randomly lost my mind and gone on a lippie buying spree), if it doesn’t have some kind of ultra conditioning property to them. Plus, the most expensive lipstick I’ve ever bought has never surpassed $40 and I don’t intend to break that streak, especially for a sheer product. However, the bronzer and highlighter are products I would desperately want to own if they came in shades I could use.
I feel exasperated seeing the brand repeatedly release only 1-2 shades per category of product (with a repeat to boot). This bronzer is essentially the equivalent of their Sirena shade. They’ve only had two colors in their powder bronzer line for ages and decided to use the same one again instead of expanding. And why they chose another light highlighter (granted it appears more golden and a little darker in swatches than it looks in the compact) after having just released the pale highlighter from the Lotus Collection is beyond me.
I believe the only product from Chantecaille that I ever reviewed on this blog was the Perfect Blur Powder because it’s the only thing (until a few months ago) that I’ve purchased from them that worked out enough for me to keep. Technically, this occurred after I sold the original shade to pay for the purchase of the Med/Deep color when it was eventually released. Of course, I was unhappy that the new color didn’t come in that gorgeous Hummingbird packaging, but I was glad to have at least avoided the Flower Power packaging that I despised in favor of the pebbled permanent one that came 6 months to a year later.
July 2020 was when I purchased my first ever product from Chantecaille. The beautiful Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duo which was insanely hard-pressed (to this day the hardest press of any product I’ve ever owned) and I could hardly pick up the product with any of my brushes. During the second use, the highlighter completely popped out of the compact (even though I wasn’t even using the highlighter at the time). That went right back to Chantecaille and I didn’t end up ever reviewing it.
Then I purchased one of the Philanthropy blushes and had a reaction to it on my cheeks, so I got rid of that. I purchased the bronzer in Goa and it was so grey that I couldn’t even use it like a contour. I looked like I had one foot in the grave, so that got decluttered too. The deeper face powder was the first success I had until recently, but it’s not worth full price to me. It’s nice, but I like the Dior Powder-No-Powder way better. The only product from Chantecaille that I actually love is the Sunbeam Cheek and Eye Shade in Ray, which makes a gorgeous highlighter for tan and deeper skin tones, a pretty eyeshadow or bronzey blush for those medium and lighter.
I know the formula of Chantecaille’s powder bronzer is great, so I’d love to have one from them in a color that actually works for me and is in pretty packaging. I just don’t know why the brand insists on taking two steps backwards after every attempt to take one step forward towards being inclusive. They’re worse at this than Hourglass. I hoped that with a new CEO and the brand being acquired by Beiersdorf that there would be an opportunity for Chantecaille to make changes for the better last year, but either it takes longer than I expect or they’re sticking to the status quo.
So, will I be getting the highlighter? I have my doubts that I could pull off a shade that light, even though the shimmer is darker than it looks. And honestly, I’m happy enough with the highlighter from them I currently have. Will I be getting the bronzer? In the past, I’ve saved some bronzers intended for those with light skin and used them as highlighters, so the thought crossed my mind because of how enamored I was with the packaging. However, I think the base color may be too pigmented for that, and I have too many amazing bronzers and highlighters to spend anywhere between $35-$84 (whichever price it may be discounted to in the future) in order to find usefulness for a product from a brand that is quite exclusionary in its range and pricing.
And, by the way, doesn’t the pattern look more like a geode/crystal than a galaxy (especially the pink one) or an acrylic pour painting? Calling this launch a “cosmos” collection that should be all about vastness and grandeur, while using the most restrictive and uninspired makeup options is quite bold of them.
Enjoy the cosmos with the tiny demographic you care about, Chantecaille.
Final Summary
I will probably get two L’Oreal Infallible Blushes, I might cave and try the Hermes Blush in Rose Cuivre eventually, I already ordered the Armani Liquid Bronzer in the deepest shade, plus two of the three Lisa Eldridge skincare products. Everything else I’m definitely skipping or have a very low probability of buying.
That’s everything for this week. Thank you for reading.
My next post will be a makeup review, but before this year is over, I wanted to do one final bit of reflecting.
When I took on the challenge of reviewing my monthly purchases, I did not anticipate buying so many products that it would take at least three months to properly test all the items and complete each post. I failed to finish my Low-Buy Series in time, but the review aspect was not my main goal. In today’s post, I’d like to revisit the points I made in my Beauty Resolutions to see which limitations I was successful at sticking to, which areas were my weaknesses, and what I learned during the course of a year. In this analysis, some products I still haven’t reviewed yet are bound to come up. I’d also like to iron out the details of my game plan for 2023 because I’m not going to stop buying beauty products, but I still need to cut back.
No Buy Items With Zero Exceptions: Mascaras, False Lashes, Face Primers, Brow Products, and Eye Primers.
These items were the easiest to stick to because they aren’t very exciting categories of makeup for me. To the best of my knowledge, I only bought one full-size mascara and two minis: the Colourpop x Hocus Pocus 2 mascara which I threw out because it was terribly formulated, a mini of the MAC Macstack Superstack with the Mega brush that I finished and a mini of the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes that I finished. I also used up a decent chunk of mascaras in my stash, but I still own enough to last me the next two years! So, as well as I stuck to my goal, those few purchases did prevent me from getting through even more of the mascaras in my drawer. I don’t think I wore false lashes at all this year, and that fact continuously kept me from buying more.
I used up three brow pencils and three eye primers were used up or needed replacing, so I replenished those, plus bought the Makeup by Mario Master Eye Prep & Set (which technically is replacing the MAC Foundation Stick I used as primer) and the Coloured Raine Eye Base (plus a backup). It’s more eye primers than I planned to buy, but not too bad. As for face primers, I did alright. I purchased on sale the Rituel de Fille Thorn oil, a mini of the Nyx Marshmallow primer (allowed as an exception), and a Benefit primer set. I used up most of my deluxe sample primers, so I will start using my new ones more regularly soon.
Overall, I was pretty proud of how I did with this one. However, those few purchases have me set for all of 2023! I will be back on my no-buy for these types of items and will allow no exceptions.
Lips: “I will purchase no more than 5 additional lip products in 2022,” is what I said.
I bought 4 Kaleidos Lip Clays right at the beginning of the year, but those were the allowed exceptions. From January to April I only purchased the clear Fenty Gloss Bomb as a replacement for my old ones (which was also allowed) and a Pat Mcgrath Bridgerton lipstick. So, right there, I broke my rule of 5 because even though I had exceptions that were allowed, they were still counting towards my five. May to August I didn’t buy any lip products, and I was so happy with myself. I don’t consider myself a lipstick aficionado, but I do love lip glosses, so I figured I would struggle a little bit in this category. However, I went on a little retail therapy binge in September and bought two Nars Afterglow balms, two Too Faced Pillow Balms (and later in the future the mini holiday trio set of them), and a Laneige mini balm set (I only kept one and gifted the rest). If I gave myself leeway and didn’t count the exclusions in my 5 lip products tally, by this point I would have hit my maximum. I wish I could say I stopped there, but it only got worse! From October and onward I bought a Nars Afterglow lip gloss and Nars Satin Lip pencil in Rikugien since I was happy to see that shade return and thought it was discontinued. I also bought the Colourpop x Hocus Pocus 2 black gloss, Colourpop Velvet Luxe Lip, the Colourpop x Winnie the Pooh lip care set, 3 Coloured Raine lip liners plus a backup, 3 Pat Mcgrath lip glosses, 2 Makeup by Mario Moistureglow lip serums, a Lunar Beauty gloss and a lip oil, 3 mini Tarte Maracuja balms, a Lisa Eldridge lipstick and a lip gloss, a Juvia’s Place lipstick, Suqqu Sheer Matte Lipstick, and 5 more Kaleidos lip clays. That’s 39 in total between 4 minis and 35 full-size lip products!
These technically aren’t even all the new ones I got this year since a few other lip products made their way to my collection as free gifts. I did so well in the beginning, but it’s really the last quarter of the year that I dropped the ball. I was tempted by all the Black Friday deals, so I know to really be extra careful of that next year because I’m absolutely going on a lip product no-buy again! I will put two exclusions though, which I know is a dangerous game, but I have to be realistic. There are some Lisa Eldridge lipsticks I wanted but they were sold out. I also had a Dior lip product on my bucket list for a long time, so if the opportunity arises for it, I may get it. Otherwise, I’m set for a long time. And I will be decluttering nearly all of the lip products I owned prior to this year. This is probably the most overboard on lip products I’ve ever gone in a single year, and it might seem like the no-buy had the opposite effect, but when I look at the dates of my purchases, it’s really just these last few months that did me in. So, it can be successful as long as I am properly prepared and on guard for the sales next time and seeing such small numbers.
Foundations: “My goal is zero, but I will not buy more than 3 foundations for the entire year (despite having 5 listed exceptions…Charlotte Tilbury, Pat Mcgrath, Make Up For Ever, MAC, or Nars).”
I didn’t think I did too badly in terms of foundation purchases until I had to compile this list. I purchased two different shades of Rose Inc Luminous Foundation Serum, two shades of the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow foundation, a replacement Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Foundation, one final attempt to buy my correct shade of the Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation (failed as the line is just too orange within the Bronze Venus category), MUFE Matte Velvet Powder Foundation, the Sephora Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation, and MAC Studio Fix Fluid.
I would have preferred to have bought the best match from Rose Inc the first time or for Hourglass to have made the perfect shade for me, as that would have knocked my number down to seven this year. And once again, it wasn’t until the last quarter of the year that I got into trouble. I didn’t buy a single one until June, which was the initial shade from Rose Inc. I didn’t get the next foundation until September with the EL Futurist Hydra replacement. The third was the initial shade of foundation from Hourglass in October. It was once again Black Friday that I bought literally all the rest of the foundations, including the additional shades. The Uoma, MAC, and MUFE were impulse purchases trying to see if I finally had a decent shade match after various changes were made. I could and should have just left those a mystery. The Sephora foundation was at least something I had been curious about since it was released.
In the grand scheme of things, I didn’t do the worst, but I certainly could have done better. Next year, I don’t want to buy any foundations at all, with the exceptions of PML, MUFE, MAC, or Nars. I’m confident I will do better next year with this category and I will very much be on guard with foundations during Black Friday.
Contours: “NO-BUY with Charlotte Tilbury and Pat Mcgrath Labs as exceptions.”
Those two brands didn’t make contours and I did very well sticking to this one. It probably had a lot to do with me hardly contouring at all this year, or doing brontouring instead. I also am still very satisfied with using the Hindash Beautopsy palette for contouring. The only contour products I went out of my way to purchase were the Kaleidos Symphony Contour Trio and KVD ModCon Liquid-Gel Contour. I received a contour stack in my Melt Mystery bag, so technically that was partly paid to own. The two other contours I bought were duos that also came with bronzers that I bought mainly for the bronzers in them: the Wayne Goss Radiance Boosting Face Palette and Vieve Modern Bronzer Duo. So, the ones from Kaleidos and KVD are what I count (and the duos will count in the bronzer categories instead).
I did well! And I will continue with the no-buy with the same exceptions. I don’t need to own multiple contour products and I will be decluttering almost all my old ones not mentioned in this post. I can’t give myself too much credit though, as there were hardly any contour launches this year and I can’t be confident that I would have had as easy of a time sticking to my goal if more had been made. It’s still a relief to know I didn’t completely bomb my low-buy.
Face Powders: “NO-BUY except if Hourglass releases a single Ambient Lighting Powder to match me or if I get the Chantecaille Blur Finishing Powder in Med/Dark at a good enough deal.”
I did, in fact, get that darker Chantecaille powder and for $33. Hourglass did not produce any new powder singles, but I bought two of their Holiday palettes and am counting those in the Face Palette section. Other than sample minis, the only setting and finishing powders I bought were the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Face Powder and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. I’m quite satisfied with that outcome, and since I don’t always set my face, I have no need to buy additional ones next year either. I will still give myself an allowance next year of no more than 3, but aiming for 0. There actually were quite a lot of tempting powder releases and I’m pleased with being able to talk myself out of them.
Eyeliners: NO-BUY except Stila’s liquid liners if they are half price or Sephora’s if I run out of Stila liners, but I know I have enough backups that, “I should be set for the rest of this year.”
I bought two Oden’s Eye colorful liners, three Melt Cosmetics pot liners plus two that I got in mystery bundles, I got a Danessa Myricks multichrome eyeliner in a Trendmood box, and I bought a multichrome eyeliner from Kaleidos. However, when it comes to black eyeliners, which is what I had really focused on in the limits of my low-buy, I only purchased one. It was the One/Size x Disney Fantasia one on sale. This is a lot more than I anticipated, but I don’t have a ton of colorful liners and I still resisted buying a lot more of them that launched this year, so I think I did very well on this one. I used up two black liner pens and the fact that I only bought one new one is where I really feel I’ve been successful. Since I still have black eyeliner backups, I intend to continue being on an eyeliner no-buy in the new year with no exceptions.
Bronzers: “If I can end 2022 with under 3 new bronzers, I would still consider the No-Buy a partial success,” is what I wrote. Bronzers are a NO-BUY except PML, Hourglass, CT if the brand created a 4.5 shade between Tan and Deep. Other exceptions were MAC, Make Up For Ever, and Nars since they may be too difficult to resist if they produce bronzers that are part of a special collection.
Well, I certainly failed on keeping it under 3 bronzers when I bought two shades each of the Colourpop Super Shock Bronzers and the Jaclyn Cosmetics Sun Bathe Bronzers alone! I already mentioned the Wayne Goss and Vieve ones in the contour section, but those count here. I also bought the Melt Cosmetics Ultra-Matte Bronzer, a Huda Glowish Blurring Pressed Powder deep enough to use as bronzer, Charlotte Tilbury Cream Bronzer in Tan (which technically fills the role of being the inbetween shade I wanted), Nars Laguna Cream Bronzer, Rose Inc Cream Bronzer, Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer in Terracotta this time, Nars Bronzing Powder in Punta Cana, Sigma Matte Bronzer, Fenty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer Palette, Gucci Éclat Soleil Bronzer, Covergirl TruBlend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzer, and Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Perfector for the bronzer strip. If I remembered them all, that’s 18 new bronzers added to my collection.
Considering how many launched this year, I don’t view this as a fail, but I admittedly did pretty badly on this one. However, bronzing products have only been in my collection for a few years. It’s still a new category of makeup for me to play in, so I’ll cut myself some slack on having trouble sticking to a reasonable amount. I plan to do a declutter soon though and I feel confident in my ability to do better and keep it under 5 next year. I’m still going to aim for zero with Pat Mcgrath being an exception, plus bronzers falling under the Face Palette category.
Blushes: “I would be proud of myself if I could keep my blush purchases under 15 this year. My plan is to stick to powders unless the blush in question is available as a mini.” Blushes are a NO-BUY except MAC, Nabla, PML, Patrick Ta, Nars, Huda Beauty, Makeup by Mario, Rare Beauty liquid blushes in a mini form or if they introduce a powder version, Fenty, Clionadh, Oden’s Eye, Glossier, LYS Beauty, CT, Chanel, and Dior.
I’ll cut right to the chase…I bought 65 blushes this year. I knew this category would be my biggest fail, but counting it out was quite the shock. The very tiniest defense I have for myself is that I bought 84 blushes last year, so at least I bought less this year.
It never seems like much at first because I only buy 1-3 at a time and don’t pay attention to how many more shades I have from a line by the end of the year. Even after I do my reviews, I sometimes buy more. For example, I ended 2022 with 6 new Suqqu blushes, 6 Benefit blushes, 5 MAC blushes, 5 Colourpop Blushes, etc. That’s how they all just caught up to me before I knew it from among 28 different brands!
This was the year of the blushes. It seemed like every brand was coming out with cream versions or I bought additional shades of powder blushes. In the last two years it became my favorite category of makeup, even surpassing eyeshadows. So, I admit, this will probably be my hardest category to have a low-buy for next year. I will of course try my best to buy as few as possible because I have so many that I love and want to have the time to actually get around to using. I’ll be doing a blush declutter in 2023, though I haven’t decided if I’ll make a dedicated post about it or not. It would be quite the daunting task!
Out of the 16 brand exceptions, I bought blushes from 9 of them. So, next year, I don’t even want to give myself a set number or set brands. I’m just going to try and resist them all as much as I can! At this point, with my solidified favorite brands and formulas, I think I’m the most in danger of trying blushes from brands I haven’t had blush from for the first time, as well as additional shades being released in my favorite formulas. Otherwise, I am still hopeful I’ll get way less in the future.
Highlighters: “I want to keep my highlighter number as close to zero as possible. That’s the goal, without putting an actual figure cap on it.” These are a NO-BUY excluding PML, Dior, and if there’s a limited edition collection of something that I’m absolutely salivating over to purchase from, but there’s nothing in the collection I would actually use except the highlighter.
I also did worse than I thought for the highlighter category. I bought 43.
Five are Colourpop Super Shocks plus two powder ones, Four are from MAC, three from Melt Cosmetics, etc. So it’s easy to see how it got out of hand among the 24 different brands. 15 highlighters were from collabs and/or limited edition collections, so that exclusion didn’t contribute to as many additional highlighters as I expected. I think regular brand packaging (if it was pretty) and pan embossing were some of the biggest temptations.
What will make things different next year is that I have quite a few holy grails now, including the ones I was crazy about last year but got swept up in all the new releases and didn’t have time to play with almost at all. The fact that I have so many now that are neglected is making me really not want to add anymore to my collection, and I plan to do quite the declutter.
Face Palettes:“This category is a LOW-BUY, but allowing for brands like CT, PML, Huda Beauty, Uoma Beauty, Hindash, and Hourglass. I’ve always wanted one of those CT Instant Look in a Palette or face quads but there hasn’t been one that would suit my skin tone. PML would be an immediate purchase. Uoma Beauty already had a face palette from 2021 but neither the light or dark palettes were really perfect for me. Hourglass makes the exceptions list because of their annual holiday palettes, provided they still make one this year and if it’s truly dark-skin friendly (but also not too deep for me).”
I got 12 face palettes. All things considered, that’s not too bad for me.
Charlotte Tilbury did not create one that met my needs, so that brand was not one of them. Uoma Beauty didn’t create a new face palette either. The two I bought from Pat Mcgrath were blush and highlighter palettes, so they weren’t exactly what I had in mind. In the instance of the PML x Bridgerton 2 Blushing Delights Palette and Divine Blush and Glow, I wasn’t the biggest fan of either highlighter and it was the blushes that I continue to reach for, so they technically belong in this category, but they are functionally just blush palettes for me. I got the Monochromance Palette from Hindash and put it in this category because I never use it for the eyeshadows, just as face products. Hourglass did not make the perfect holiday palette for me, yet I bought two of them to create a better mix. Out of the 12 face palettes I bought, the only one that truly suited my needs (as is) in shades and formulas I loved and had the blush, highlighter, and bronzer that I picture the perfect face palette should have, was the Sephora Collection Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette in Captivate. I got that palette in April, yet I still continued to chase after more of them.
I really want to do some damage to the Sephora palette, so I’m planning to aim for zero face palettes next year, with the exceptions of CT, PML, Huda Beauty, and Hindash. When it comes to Hourglass, I still don’t want to buy another holiday palette unless it contains an actual deep bronzer with other shades that work for me, or it has the At Night blush plus everything else I think would be flattering on me.
Concealers: Concealers are a LOW-BUY, but realistically, I’m content with the ones I have, “and I will likely only buy two additional concealers this year: Tarte Shape Tape when it’s half price and Pat Mcgrath’s shade 23. The only concealer I already purchased in 2022 was the KVD Good Apple concealer.” Concealers are my least restrictive category because my needs are so particular that so few out there meet all criteria. So, I don’t mind buying several of them if I can actually find some to match all my personal requirements.
As I expected, I naturally did not gravitate to many concealers this year because so few full coverage ones were released. I finished my KVD Good Apple Concealer that I bought in February and only recently opened my backup tube that I bought in March. That made me feel pretty good about having a backup handy. I’m also currently using my last backup of the Tarte Shape Tape. I did purchase the PML Concealer in shade 23 and tossed out my other two that had changed in consistency but were mostly used up as well. 23 is still too olive toned for my liking, so I won’t get anymore in the future. I bought a mini of the Tarte Flex concealer and hated the formula. I also recently bought the Sephora Best Skin Ever Concealer, but I can’t remember my thoughts on it. The Smashbox X Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector technically falls under this category. I bought one near the end of last year and I recently bought a replacement for it.
In summation, I bought 7 concealers. I used up one of them this year and won’t reach for two others. So, I’ll be going into 2023 with 4 fresh concealers plus a few older ones I have left in my collection that will likely be tossed out soon. For that reason, I’m going to allow myself to purchase as many full coverage, non-drying, and low-creasing ones I can find in the future. Chances are low that anything new that’s out there will work for me, so I’m likely going to end up sticking with my favorites.
Eyeshadows: “I will likely only get one or two single eyeshadows from different indie brand collection launches because I’m pretty satisfied with my single eyeshadow collection. Clionadh is the only exception and I will just trust my self control and not get everything from them.”
I stuck to my guns even better than I expected regarding only getting a few single eyeshadows from different indie brands, but I absolutely went overboard on the Clionadh shadows. First, with the positives, I purchased 7 Lethal Cosmetic Singles, 3 Terra Moons singles, and 3 Sydney Grace singles. Even though they are called “refills,” I technically did buy 5 Lisa Eldridge singles. For the holidays, I also bought a Charlotte Tilbury Pop Shot.
As for Clionadh Stained Glass Expansion shadows, I bought 25 and still haven’t even reviewed the newest ones yet, nor posted them on Instagram. I also bought both Fruitlighter highlighters from the Dragonfruit Collection which I use exclusively as eyeshadows as well. I also bought the Birthday Trilogy and Holiday Trio, which makes 6 standard eyeshadows too.
I think the best course of action is to actually put a limit on what I buy from Clionadh next year for budgetary reasons and for allowing myself time to actually use what I just bought. I always buy the Charity bundles, so that will likely continue. If they finally bring back their matte shadows, I will also get those too. Everything else in the single shadow realm is off the table, excluding for an allowance of only 1 or 2 Stained Glass shadows the same as all the other brands. And when it comes to other brands’ single shadows, I’m going to have the same 1 or 2 limit.
Eyeshadow Palettes: “I will purchase no more than 2 each month (and yes they can roll over). In 2020, I bought a whopping 52 palettes which is basically one a week. In 2021, I bought somewhere between 38-40 palettes. This year, I’m hoping to make it no more than 24. I consider a palette to be anything with 4 or more eyeshadows.”
I failed. I did so well in the beginning. I was right on target from January to October, having bought just 22 new palettes. I really could have reached my goal if I’d kept that same pace for the rest of the year. It just got completely out of hand from all the sales. Black Friday came and went, and my total became 49.
Side note, only 4 of them would have sold out if I didn’t get them at launch. So, I made the right decision waiting for a sale in most cases, but I overdid it. I held off waiting for them instead of properly talking myself out of wanting them. That was a crucial mistake. At this point, I can’t even say whether they were worth it because I haven’t even touched 24 of them! Four of those still haven’t arrived though (from PML and Melt).
Of the palettes I did try, I liked a lot of them, but so few were truly special. This is something I really need to hone in on next year, the fact that plenty of brands are making fantastic eyeshadows nowadays, so I’m very likely to enjoy all of it, but I should only buy the ones that are really going to feel like worthy additions to my collection and that I would actively miss if I skipped them. I should only have palettes that are inspiring and make me want to do tons of looks with it, not just the ones that are appealing because of the colors but aren’t something I’d wear. This kind of thinking did get me through most of the year, so I know I can do way better next year if I truly stick to my guns and don’t lose my mind when the prices start to drop.
Skincare, Hair Care, and Fragrances: “I’m on a low-buy for those and intend to buy as little new products in those categories as possible.”
I bought a few fragrance samplers and travel size perfumes, so the total fragrances purchased this year is higher than last year, but the total of it all was perhaps around $100. I don’t believe that’s too unreasonable, especially when what I really wanted was a travel size of the Tom Ford Lost Cherry which costs $80. Instead, I got a travel size Kayali’s Lovefest on sale, which has a cherry note that’s similar enough. I purchased hardly any new hair care and I kept the skincare purchases to a very reasonable and minimal amount. I’m quite pleased with how I did. I don’t want any new perfumes next year, but I want to keep the hair and skin products to my same small amount as this year.
Stance on Buying Multiples
Don’t Buy Backups
Don’t Buy Multiple Shades/Versions of a Product I Like
*Let the Chikuhodo MK-KO Be My Most Expensive Maki-e Brush
I did a fairly decent job of not buying that many backups of makeup, but not so much with makeup brushes. Technically, the Chikuhodo MK-KO is still my most expensive single brush (which I had bought in part with a promo code and reward points not long after it arrived at CDJapan), but the difference wasn’t by much when I bought the Koyudo Makie Gray Squirrel Powder Brush with the Cherry Blossom design and red handle that’s normally 300,000 YEN but I got it for 180,000 YEN while the exchange rate was at its most favorable for USD all year. And as for not buying multiples of shades, I absolutely failed with this specifically in the blush category and technically in buying all those Clionadh Stained Glass multichromes.
I really want to double-down on this philosophy next year and only buy the one perfect shade out of a bunch of options. If I stuck to that, I wouldn’t have overdone it on blush purchases. I did also overdo it with the brush purchases because I wasn’t used to CDJapan having so many outlet brush options. Unlike my spending pattern for all the other beauty categories, when it came to brushes, I went on a spending spree in the beginning half of the year, but started to get a handle on it in the latter half. Towards the end, I was a lot more particular and thoughtful about the final brushes I bought and skipped several Outlet buying opportunities and passed on the last four or so promo code offers. I’m confident I will have my Fude obsession much more under control next year. I also still have so many more brushes yet to be reviewed and posted on this blog!
Stance on Limited Edition/Limited Quantity Items
Skip Birth Specific Things Except Ones Pertaining to Me (Lunar Dragon Sign, November-born, Water Sign, Scorpio, etc)
Don’t Buy Items Now to Avoid Price Hikes Later, Fear of Discontinuation, and Long Restock Times
I didn’t want to risk Clionadh’s shadows being out of stock during Black Friday, so I very specifically chose not to wait for a better deal for fear of a long restock when I bought all the Stained Glass ones that I did. I also placed multiple orders and wasted a lot of money in shipping fees because I couldn’t stick to just my initial purchase after narrowing the list down to my top 15 favorites of the new shades. So, that wasn’t very smart on my part.
There weren’t many birth specific things released this year, other than Lunar New Year items, so I was mostly safe on this front. The collection that I absolutely did not stick to buying the ones pertaining to me was when I purchased the Air and Earth mini palettes from Melt’s Bad Side Zodiac Collection. On the other hand, I did well by not buying the Water palette just because it’s my sign’s attribute when I had no interest in the color story.
I like bunnies, so we will see how well I fare in the Year of the Rabbit. I’m not feeling very confident about this one.
Stance on Buying Things at Full Price
“I’ll only allow myself to buy things I think are worth full price, but I will still wait whenever possible to get those items when they’re on sale.”
I purchased a lot more items from luxury brands this year, and it’s difficult to feel anything in that category is worth the price to me at full retail when I know the most desirable thing is probably the packaging. When I made this rule for myself about only buying products worth full price, I had affordable to mid-range makeup brands in mind. I didn’t anticipate how buying luxury items at mid-range prices was going to feel like I was living up to this rule. Many times, because of the significant discount, those luxury items were suddenly worth those mid-tier prices in my mind, so I went forward with buying them without stopping to think about whether I truly wanted the makeup or if I was just trying to get it at those prices while I could. For instance, the Guerlain Quads released this year are $85-$90 depending on the retailer. I got mine for $65 from Selfridges. Natasha Denona palettes (which I admittedly consider high-end and not mid-tier) are $69, so I reasoned it was fine. I didn’t think about how one has only 4 shades and the other has 15. Or that my rule was to acknowledge the worth at the original price first before waiting for the discount.
As I mentioned in the eyeshadow palette section, I overdid the Black Friday shopping because I was waiting for items to go on sale instead of spending that time figuring out if it was something I should really be buying, wanting legitimately, and then properly talking myself out of most of them. That way, when a sale did come around, I wouldn’t just buy everything that had been pushed onto my wishlist for later. My rules for myself on item limits kept going out the window once discounts became a factor. So, I need to focus more on talking myself out of things by looking through what I already own and pulling out dupes if necessary. I also need to focus more on the item number limits I set as a reason to not buy something instead trying to determine if it’s worth buying at a specific price.
Stance on Stance on Buying Makeup from “New to Me” Brands
Purchase Only One Item for the Year from a Luxury Brand I Haven’t Tried Yet
Avoid Buying From All Other Brands That Are New to Me
I don’t know if I did well or terribly at avoiding buying from brands for the first time, considering how many new ones popped up this year, in addition to certain brands having items that finally interested me enough to want to try them. Some of the new and new to me brands I purchased from this year are One/Size, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Olivia Palermo Beauty, Vieve, Florasis, Alamar Cosmetics, MOB Beauty, rms beauty, Valentino Beauty, the Beauty Bay brand, Lisa Eldridge, and r.e.m. Beauty. I even tried the Eihodo (outlet), Surratt, and Mizuho brush brands for the first time. I do regret bothering to purchase from 3 out of those 12. I spent a lot of money creating a custom palette of MOB Beauty products for it to not be absolutely perfect for me. The Florasis palette is beautiful, but it’s too beautiful for me to want to use and mess up the pan designs, plus I wasn’t thrilled with the formulas. The rms beauty blush is just okay. I don’t get the hype. MAC Extra Dimension blushes are way better. Also, in trying out One/Size and Lisa Eldridge, they became brands I couldn’t stop making additional purchases with and will continue to keep my eye on in the coming year. I also have no regrets buying solely one product type from r.e.m, the Interstellar Highlighter Topper, but I do wish I stopped at Miss Mars because that is the perfect shade for me and is one of my holy grail products now. Miss Saturn was the other shade I bought, which is nice, but I don’t think I’ll reach for it again now that I’ve got Miss Mars. Funny enough, regarding r.e.m., it’s one of the rare times that loving one item from the brand didn’t make me go down the rabbit hole of wanting to try everything else they’ve got.
The rule about only buying one item from a luxury brand, I stuck to with Victoria Beckham Beauty and Olivia Palermo Beauty, but it wasn’t of my own accord. Had the brand created other items that interested me or put up a good enough sale, I’d have purchased additional things.
This rule stopped me from trying out a decent number of other brands for the first time, so I think it will still be necessary to keep this one for next year. I’m just not sure the one item per luxury brand thought process is sound anymore. It was intended for me to cherish that one product, but if that first one was a dud, that should be enough to make me more cautious naturally in the future without feeling like I have to punish myself by only getting to experience that one product for the rest of the year that I won’t be cherishing anyway.
Knowing/Hearing Something Has an Amazing Formula but Isn’t Available in a Shade I Like
Remember: “Just because something is good, does not mean I must own it.”
Wait For the Brand to Expand the Range for a Shade I Actually Love
Don’t Buy Things for Curiosity’s Sake or Reviewing Purposes
The first two rules did successfully help me in some cases, as I discussed in my Anti-Haul post, but hearing something was good and not buying it only worked until the product dropped in price. Then, I felt like I was missing out by skipping the deal and a good formula. Of course, very few things were actually revolutionary, so I really need to remember most things will be as good as what I already own and almost none will surpass it. That means I should just stick to what I already have and not keep buying more of the same.
As for waiting for a brand’s range to expand, I kept that in mind a lot and it did help me to stick to my low-buy. My bigger issue, ironically, is that brands were more inclusive this year and many times there were too many shades that I really wanted! That’s how I ended up buying so many blushes at a time. I only regret 10 out of 65, because 7 were me not needing those shades and I could have skipped them without actually missing out, whereas only 3 of the 65 didn’t work on me. Waiting for the perfect shade is a good rule because I’m having greater success with getting products I like, but I like too many things, so I have to really work on the whole “just because something is good doesn’t mean I need to own it,” mentality.
Self-Tips to Avoid Temptation
If I Decide Not to Buy Something, Stop Watching Videos About It
Don’t Buy Things That Don’t Suit Me Just to Support a Cause/Brand Owner With A Specific Background
Don’t Make Purchases as Retail Therapy
Don’t Make Purchases in the Early Morning Hours
Not watching videos about items I planned to anti-haul ended up being helpful in limiting my exposure to the product’s hype, but also a detriment when I was in a random shopping mood and didn’t have a list of negatives accrued from videos that would have aided me in talking myself out of making the purchase. Of course, I wasn’t supposed to be making retail therapy purchases at all, but there were three specific moments this year that my will-power wasn’t strong enough. One was post-surgery and another was after Hurricane Ian when power was finally restored but my boyfriend and I were sick. I at least did better at avoiding early morning shopping by convincing myself to make the purchases later in the morning when inhibitions weren’t so low.
When it came to deciding to buy something at full or near full price, that’s when supporting a cause or brand owner/collaborator with a specific background played a role. However, I was much better this year at not buying things that I knew weren’t my preference just to be supportive.
Final Thoughts
My low-buy efforts were abysmal in specific makeup categories, but I wouldn’t call this a complete fail because I was in the ballpark of my goals for the rest of the categories. In taking on this project, I learned even more about my consumer habits and personal impulses. I have to give myself some credit for doing well up until the remaining few months of the year, which was also the most difficult part of the year on a personal level emotionally and physically after my surgery. I’ll need to be a lot stronger at saying no to the shiny new things next year, and I am certain I’ll do better. I still have so many products that haven’t been reviewed from my collection that I want to get posted to this blog in 2023. So, despite going on another low-buy, there will be plenty of beauty content to come! Thank you for reading and I wish you a very happy New Year!
Happy Halloween to all who celebrate it! Halloween used to be the holiday I was most excited about, and the original Hocus Pocus movie was one of my favorites. I still haven’t watched the sequel, but I was drawn to several items in the collection which I will review here today. In addition, I have two shades of Super Shock bronzers I’ll be reviewing along with two of the three Winnie the Pooh Super Shock highlighters.
One more thing to note before we discuss the products is that there are two items missing today. Colourpop surprised us all on October 28th by restocking the adorable Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pots. Since I was already placing an order, I added a Hocus Pocus 2 lip gloss to my cart. It takes at least two weeks for me to get my orders from Colourpop’s website, so there’s no way it would arrive in time for Halloween. Rather than delaying this post, I decided that it would be better for me to just update it in a few weeks with product photos and a demonstration of the lip gloss on my lips. I’ve reviewed Colourpop lip products in the past, and these are just new shades and scents, so I don’t expect there to be anything significant to say about them. If you’re interested in those two specifically, please revisit this post by the end of November at the latest (unless something goes wrong with the shipment).
UPDATE: Nov 10th, 2022 – The missing items are here! I’ve continued the trend of picking something from the Hocus Pocus 2 Collection that is completely out of character for me…a sparkly sheer black gloss! Boys Will Love Me in the So Glassy Lip Gloss formula feels great on the lips, is shiny, and gives me a “wearable rebel” vibe to my look! There’s no fragrance in it but it has a slight chemical smell.
The hunny pots with the plastic honey dipper applicators are the cutest things! I’m so happy I was able to snag these when they restocked. The lip mask smells deliciously of honey and they added a slightly sweet flavor to it. It feels so soft on the lips. I forgot how nice these lip masks from Fourth Ray/Colourpop are! The lip scrub has finely sized sugar particles, the kind that don’t do very much exfoliating for my lips, but I like that the formula it’s suspended in comes off my lips easily enough without leaving my lips feeling oily or sticky.
Back to the main review!
Hocus Pocus 2 (Partial) Collection
Sol Body Find the Book Shimmering Highlighter
I stopped purchasing highlighters in unnatural colors, but made an exception for this one. The texture of this “liquid-powder” is similar to the Super Shock formula, which is one of my favorites because of how smoothing they apply and look on the skin. This also got me in the nostalgia feels because it reminded me of the Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter in the shade Golden Mint, just with a more intense green tinge that nearly glows.
The highlighter has the typical Sol Body beachy/coconut type of scent that is pleasant enough, but I’d prefer if it wasn’t in the makeup at the very least. The smell is thankfully not as intense in this product as it is in their cream bronzers. It looks white in the pan head on, but the base color is actually an iridescent type of pale “opal” pink shade and at an angle it reveals the gold and green shimmer. It’s basically a duochrome highlighter, but I haven’t seen one before with such a glowing green shade. It’s so beautiful, I had to try it as an inner corner highlight and it was perfect for that! It was easy to apply there and stayed on. However, when I tried it as an all-over lid shade, it was far too creamy on my eyes. It wouldn’t stop moving and creasing, so I took it off once the photos were taken. Because of the scent and the ingredient PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene which is still a microplastic), I probably shouldn’t be using this in my eye area anyway.
Is this shade too light for me? Technically, yes. The pale opal-pink leaves a cast on my face that’s visible wherever the light isn’t illuminating the green shimmer. However, the cast is less noticeable if I pair it with a neutral pink blush (the lighter the better). Also, the fact that I’m wearing a duochrome highlighter means it’s intended to stand out. So, I think it’s fine that it’s not exactly one with my skin. I won’t be fooling anyone into thinking my cheekbones naturally glow green! If anything, I think the liquid-powder formula helps to make this kind of highlighter as natural as possible in the texture and blending department.
For times that aren’t Halloween, I learned that when I want something unique yet wearable, I just need to put on a deeper highlighter (like Colourpop’s Mind Over Matter) and add Find the Book on top of it. This combination does change the color a bit. Green is still present, but the bronze-orange tone in Mind Over Matter mixed with Find the Book really intensifies the gold. I decided to show that very example in the two photos below. They have been cropped to just show the cheekbone highlight because the day I took the pictures was intended to just be an eyeshadow palette testing day when I often just put makeup around my eyes and leave everything else alone. On this particular day, I skipped foundation and did not conceal the hyperpigmentation around my mouth, so I didn’t feel comfortable showing a full face.
Find the Book is intended for face and body use, but I have not tried to wear this anywhere else. I can’t stand wearing body makeup, so that will not be demonstrated today. As I mentioned earlier, it moves and stays too creamy on the eyes. On my cheekbones though, it does dry down but it’s not transfer-proof. I still get sparkles that come up on my finger when I touch my face.
Butcherson BFF Mascara
The shade of this mascara is “rich plum,” and typically burgundy and maroon type of colorful mascaras look nice on those with brown or green eyes, so I had high expectations. Color-wise, I was extremely happy with this mascara but that’s where it ends! According to Colourpop, this mascara is made to be buildable and “instantly volumizes, lifts and dramatically lengthens…with zero clumps or flakes.” The first time I used this mascara, the only issues I had with it were minor flaking and that it took a bit of time to fully coat my lashes. The formula was a little dry, but I got the results I wanted in terms of color, though I noticed no length or volume. I don’t know if in that first use it took so long to apply that while the tube was open it dried out further, but the problems intensified right afterwards. The next time I went to use it, the performance was far beyond what can be considered “buildable” and it was a hassle to get the mascara off the bristles and stick to my lashes. Even when I was using the tip that had excess product on it to try and coat my lashes, it was like the formula was too waxy to want to stay in place and not just come back off once I combed it through with the brush. In the photo below, I demonstrated the differences when I applied this mascara on top of another one (a fiber one, so it’s to be expected that the lengths will be different) versus applying it to my bare lashes. It looks so much better applied on top of another mascara. On bare lashes, it didn’t give me much extra length than a basic mascara, but also it’s definitely not voluminous enough for my taste.
On top of a black mascara, it’s admittedly harder to see the plum color, but I prefer having that subtle touch to the look.
I would gladly continue using this product if it wasn’t for the intense flaking issue that occurred upon the second and last uses. The third time I used it, pictured below, I laid down on my bed and one of the mascara flakes/crumbles got in my eye. When I used my finger to take it out, the other side of my finger touched the upper lashes where parts of the mascara turned out to be still wet. So it smeared on my finger even though it had been thirty minutes since I first applied it. Then I noticed all the rest of the flakes under my eyes, even wider spread below my face not seen in the picture below. I tried to wipe a particularly large flake away and that smeared the plum color, so I grabbed a Makeup Eraser and my Bioderma solution to remove it all.
Other than that first application, this mascara is hard to apply, is completely lacking in length and volume, flakes terribly (some of the dots in the outer corner of the eye photo aren’t all moles they are flakes too), is “dry” but somehow doesn’t fully dry down if too much is applied even after thirty minutes and will therefore smudge. Once a product has the risk of getting in my eyes, it’s an absolute no for me. So, I won’t be using it anymore. This is quite the shame considering how much I really like the color and the packaging is cute as well. I’m debating between putting it on my retirement shelf (makeup not to be used but kept for collector purposes) or tossing it. The experience was so bad removing the mascara because of the smearing and trying to get more of it out of my eyes that I’m 90% sure I’m going to just toss it. I was so shocked by the positive reviews on Colourpop’s site that I thought maybe I just got a bad one or the time it took for me to build it up dried it out too much, but the reviews on Ulta’s site tell another story (linked here but they may eventually remove it from their website).
There are plenty more of the negative reviews on Ulta’s website and it’s currently sitting at 2 out of 5 stars for a reason out of 24 reviews. The only other positive thing I can say is that it did not clump for me, but that’s because I could barely even get the mascara to coat my lashes. Because plenty of other people are having issues too, I absolutely cannot recommend this. I’ve tried one other mascara from Colorpop and that didn’t go as poorly but there was no benefit either, so no more of them for me.
Give Him Fur Hair Clips
I’m not a cat person, but somehow over the last five years or so I’ve acquired the “Kitty” nickname which I’ve fully leaned into by now. I own cat headbands and clip on cat ears, so this product certainly appealed to me not just for Halloween. I think they look great! The fur is soft and the cloth ears are soft as well. I feel obligated to point out some of the flaws though, as these aren’t the highest quality. For example, part of the fur lining came unglued from the handle, a tuft of hair came out already, the inner portion of the cat ear peeks out beyond the stitching, and because the handle end of the clip isn’t exposed and the fur strap goes past it, I have to be careful how I place my fingers to open the jaw of the clip so that I don’t potentially tear anything off. In addition, the clip is made of a very thin metal and whatever paint coating they used gives it a plastic feel.
I don’t believe these flaws would be noticeable to other people. As long as I continue to handle these carefully, I think I’ll be getting my money’s worth out of them. I foresee the fur strap coming more unglued to the claw over time, but at that point I can just glue it back down.
This entire Hocus Pocus 2 Collection inspired me to create a Fall-Halloween type of look and step out of my comfort zone, so there are no regrets. Even though the mascara didn’t work out for me, it was fun to give colored lashes a try again.
In the Halloween look above, I’m wearing the Butcherson mascara on the tips of the lashes, Find the Book highlighter (on the top of the cheekbones and inner corner of the eyes), and the kitty ears. The third photo on the bottom was taken with my cell phone to show the brightness of the highlighter that I struggled to capture with my regular camera.
Bronzers
Super Shock Bronzers in Dream Vacay and Paradise City
The original line of Super Shock bronzers were discontinued in 2017, but these 2022 versions are supposed to be an improved formula. I have no idea how the originals were received, but these new ones deserve to be hyped up! They are amazing! They are so smooth to the touch and look smooth on the skin. They blend effortlessly. They last all day. They look so natural on the skin. These are everything I could want from a cream (or cream-like) bronzer! These are way easier to use and are more pigmented than the Sol Body Cream Bronzers.
Packing on Dream Vacay produces a very subtle bronze on me, but it doesn’t take much effort if I use my dense Patrick Ta Contour Brush to apply it. If I use something a bit softer like the Sonia G Mini Base, it has to be built up in multiple layers. If I want a deeper bronze, I use Paradise City and blend it out with the Mini Base or use the tiniest amount with my Patrick Ta Contour Brush. Paradise City is deep enough on me to give a slight sculpting affect, but I will sometimes add Dream Vacay back on top to lighten it up if it gets too intense.
I’ve had these open for three months now and they haven’t dried up, formed a film on top, nor changed in consistency. There’s also no scent to them unlike the Sol Body Cream Bronzers, so I’m especially happy about that. Right now, these are among my top 5 favorite non-powder bronzer formulas.
Also, Kudos to Colourpop for having an even deeper shade available called Summer 4ever. We love an inclusive product range! There are also three bronzers lighter than Dream Vacay.
Highlighters
Winnie the Pooh Super Shock Highlighters in 100 Aker Wood and Mind Over Matter
I’ve reviewed Colourpop’s Super Shock Highlighters so many times on this blog. I love how smoothly they apply and melt into my cheeks. They don’t stay feeling slippery on the face and they can look subtle or intense depending on the application process. Some observations I noted that make these stand apart from the others I own is that more than just having a strong yellow base, I can see micro green and gold shimmer in 100 Aker Wood that stands out on my skin, in addition to Mind Over Matter having some larger bronze sparkles that make the skin look more textured than normal. The tone in 100 Aker Wood isn’t anything like Fenty’s Trophy wife, but it’s still slightly too yellow to match me despite me also having a yellow undertone to my skin. Depending on the foundation shade I’m wearing, it looks more natural if I pair it with a more yellow or olive foundation, but if I wear my summer foundations which are more of a golden-orange, then the yellow in the highlighter becomes more obvious. More often than not, I end up mixing 100 Aker Wood with one of my darker Super Shocks like Mind Over Matter or Champagne BB. I applied a light amount of 100 Aker Wood below. As for Mind Over Matter, the tone matches me really well to the point that I had to build it up in the demonstration photo below in order for it to be seen on my cheeks. Adding more also emphasized the amount of glitter specks that can be seen. The extra sparkles aren’t so much to stop me from wanting to use this highlighter though. I have only worn these over natural and dewy foundations. I can attest to these melting better into my skin the dewier my face is.
I’m including a comparison of the current “natural” shades of Super Shocks in my collection. The photos were taken at night so the non-flash photo is washed out whereas the flash side is slightly intensified in color.
Flute Punch is too light for me but I bought it to mix with Champagne BB. Champagne BB on its own is slightly too dark for my face. Mind Over Matter is close to that one in depth, but just slightly lighter and closer to matching the brown tones in my face. Parasol and Got Glow are still the best ones I have for highlighting purposes, but Got Glow is better because it’s the tiniest bit more golden and darker. The shimmer particles in Parasol are lighter than Got Glow, so Parasol can look too light from the shimmer reflecting more harshly in contrast to my skin tone at certain times of the year. The downside to Got Glow is the mix of multiple colors in the pot that doesn’t always look as complimentary depending on how much of the darker or lighter colors get picked up and applied.
As much as I love the Super Shock highlighters, there has to be a stopping/satisfaction point and I think I’ve reached it. I will continue using all of them and mixing them if necessary to continue getting enjoyment out of these products.
That’s everything for today! Thank you for reading and Happy Halloween!
Today, I am sharing the details of my personal pledge regarding beauty purchases. I love the process of buying and testing new things, so this isn’t a complete no-buy. It’s just my attempt at a more realistic low-buy that may still seem like too much to most people, but will be quite the change for me. It’s all about having a more balanced approach, and I’ve come up with some things to remember to keep myself in that mindset when a shiny new thing is threatening to make me lose all reason and unleash the inner makeup goblin.
These were all the blushes, highlighters, bronzers, and contour products I owned as of September 2020. Many were decluttered since then but many more have been added to my collection. Photos like this are a motivation to stick to my goals this year.
Stance on Buying Multiples
When I love something, I tend to buy multiples, especially makeup brushes. If an item is special in some way, I want another version of it. This year, I want to restrict myself from buying a backup or getting other things from the line that I initially didn’t plan to buy the first time. Reason being, that one item I get will be even more special if it’s the only one I have. I will also get more use out of that one special item since I wouldn’t be splitting usage evenly between two or more other things from the line. For instance, letting the Hermes Blush be my one makeup item from Hermes. Another example would be letting the Chikuhodo MK-KO be my one Makie series brush and the most expensive brush in my collection (even at the discounted price I paid for it).
Stance on Limited Edition and Limited Quantity Items
I want to save for things that are truly special, but sometimes I buy limited edition items for the sake of them being limited edition and fearing that I will miss out. For instance, every year brands release Lunar New Year items. Rather than purchasing the prettiest items each year from every sign, I should wait for 2024 when it has the most significance for me, as the Year of the Dragon. That being said, I did purchase my first Beautylish Presents brush this year (Tiger), but I successfully skipped the Koyudo Lunar New Year Brush. This rule of only buying Dragon Lunar New Year items is a resolution I want to keep forever, but Tiger, Rabbit, and Dog will be the most difficult to ignore. On the bright side, Dec-Feb is the peak time of Lunar New Year launches, so I just need to hold out for a little longer and then the temptation will be less when those releases stop being discussed.
Also, going hand in hand with limited edition makeup is the scarcity of raw materials like natural hair for makeup brushes and special pigments for eyeshadows. Some palettes made by indie brands have been discontinued because certain pigments are no longer sourced. And the supply of high quality natural hair has become harder to obtain, which is one of the biggest reasons brushmakers (even brands historically known for only making natural hair makeup brushes) are moving towards synthetic. These are some reasons I feel an internal pressure to buy special limited quantity items in case they are discontinued, have a long restock time, and/or prices get raised such as Koyudo and Wayne Goss’ brushes last year. Hakuhodo is raising theirs again on June 1st and Chikuhodo already raised theirs at the beginning of February. Most of the major Japanese OEMs are raising their prices this year. I’m not too concerned about the increases since the brushes in my price range are going up by a maximum of $5, but Hakuhodo is planning to increase theirs by 30%. If that was a brand I purchased from more, I’d be rushing to make last minute orders, but they’ve been out of my price range since their previous price increase a few years ago.
In the case of the makeup, there’s no point in hoarding things with an expiration date anyway. Regarding the brushes, they can potentially hold their value and be seen as an investment of sorts, but how long they last depends on how well I care for them. The hair can still snap and split or shed. If I wish to part with some brushes, they may not be in a condition someone would want to buy. So, it’s not a safe bet either. I have plenty of brushes as is, along with makeup, so my plan is to not let scarcity and the limited edition title to be a factor in the decision to make a purchase.
Stance on Buying Things at Full Price / The “I’ll only get it on sale” Mentality
I use sales as a justification for buying something. If I’m saying to myself, “I want this, but only if it’s on sale,” then that should be an indication that I know there are aspects about it that aren’t perfect for me. Perhaps it has too many colors that don’t interest me or it’s not intended for my skin type. Maybe it’s similar to plenty of things I already own and would be redundant in my collection. If I’m not willing to buy it at full price, then I shouldn’t get it. At the same time, it is smart to wait for a sale for financial reasons as well as giving myself time to ensure it’s something I still want and that I haven’t been sucked in by the hype. So the key is to implement both conditions. I’ll only allow myself to buy things I think are worth full price, but I will still wait whenever possible to get those items when they’re on sale.
Gift Cards, Cashback, and Reward Program Spending
In my past post about all the ways I save money when buying products online, I mentioned that I sometimes acquire products “for free” because it was paid for by credit I earned via cashback, gift cards, etc. I just want to make my stance clear that my Beauty Resolutions still apply in those cases that I didn’t pay money out of pocket. For instance, when I’ve accumulated enough points via Ulta’s Reward Program to be able to purchase all the items in my cart in full, I’m still not supposed to use it on products that are part of my No-Buy. The No-Buy is ultimately about adding less products overall to my collection. Saving money is the by-product of that. This ties in with the “waiting for a sale” issue, that even if the item I want is only a few dollars from the drugstore or is “free” via my points, it’s not about the money. It’s about getting fewer new things so I can get more use out of my current collection.
Stance on Buying Makeup from “New to Me” Brands
When it comes to designer brands with luxury makeup lines that I haven’t purchased from yet, I have the overall rule that I’m allowed to have my “first” of something, such as a first Gucci Beauty product, a first Christian Louboutin Beauty, etc. The formulas of their makeup seldom match what I like, so it has always been a little easier to pass on them, especially at those prices. Allowing myself to have just one will ensure that I’m ultra selective about which one it ends up being. So, I’m allowing this exception, while also cutting myself off from future purchases from those brands for the rest of the year or longer.
As for all other brands that would be new to me, I’m actually trying to avoid them this year. If I like something new from, for example, Sigil Inspired by Tammy Tanuka, then I would be too tempted to try their other products. I want to satisfy my curiosity, especially about different indie brands, but the overall allure is lower if I don’t know what I’m missing. That’s why I want to keep purchases from new (to me) brands to a minimum.
Knowing/Hearing Something Has an Amazing Formula but Isn’t Available in a Shade I Like
This category of a resolution is two-fold. I recognize my issue with wanting to buy everything that has a raved about formula. Just because something is good, does not mean I must own it. I already have nice things, so I need to remember that I’m not missing out by sticking with what I already deem to be great. Second, if the product with a raved about formula is from one of my favorite brands, I’m even more likely to buy it even if the colors aren’t what I’m looking for. For example, Nude Venus blush from Pat Mcgrath is quite light for me, but I wanted it anyway because between the two shimmer formulas of blush, Desert Orchid and Nude Venus, the latter was the only one with any hope of showing up on my skin tone. What I should have done, and will try to do in the future, is be patient and wait for the brand to expand the line and create something that will work for me rather than settling for something just because it’s a good product. If it doesn’t look stunning on me, I likely won’t reach for it anyway which defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place. Wanting to get it for review purposes isn’t a good enough justification for me anymore. If the brand never ends up expanding the line, so be it. Someone else will create something just like it. Many brands share labs and formulas within the same parent company. Very few things in the cosmetics world are unique anymore.
Self-Tips to Avoid Temptation
Once I’ve decided I will not purchase an item, I need to skip watching videos (which I believe will likely be positive) about that item. For instance, I almost caved so many times on the Patrick Ta Blush palette that was released last holiday. Everyone says it’s great. I have no doubt it would be great and it even has a shade that is likely even more my style than the single cream and powder blush duo I have. However, I think in my head the fact that I have to apply two different products to achieve the look I want makes me think it will take longer to apply, so I’d rather grab a single blush. There’s also the fact that I hardly ever reach for whole blush palettes, so I doubt I would use it enough to justify the purchase, but seeing hundreds of reviews and photos in my various social media feeds kept the temptation alive. The same goes for the Charlotte Tilbury foundation that I decided will not surpass anything I currently have, so I should skip it, but the flood of reviews are tempting. Also, no one can get me to want a makeup brush like Alicia Archer (formerly KinkySweat on YouTube). So, as much as I would enjoy watching Influencer videos, if the pull of the product is too strong, I have to abstain from those videos.
I also noticed that I had a tendency to purchase products in 2021 that were made for deeper skin tones or from a black owned brand regardless of whether the product was actually the best fit for me. As much as I want to show support, I can’t be wasteful and buy things that won’t suit me. I have dark skin, but it’s still medium-dark, so not everything in the dark category will look flattering on me. My undertone also effects what shades look nice on me and which ones stand out too much. If I know it’s too deep for me then I need to skip getting it, just as I would if a product was too light.
Some of my other purchasing weaknesses are buying things as retail therapy (usually when I’m going through health issues) and impulse purchases in the early morning hours when inhibitions are low and I’m not thinking of consequences. Both are psychological and the toughest for me to fight, but knowing is half the battle.
The No-Buy and Low-Buy Categories
Essentially every makeup category has an exception because I’m trying to be realistic and allow myself some fun purchases as well, so I have a good shot at making overall better decisions. Allowing exceptions doesn’t automatically mean I will make a purchase. For instance, Charlotte Tilbury foundation releases are allowed, but after watching a few reviews, I decided I will not buy the newest one.
The categories with zero budging or exceptions* as a NO-BUY are: Mascaras, FalseLashes, Face Primers, Brow Products, and Eye Primers. I have more than a year’s worth of products left in all of those categories, so I want to use up what I currently have.
*I do have an overall exceptions rule that products I intended to get in 2021, but could not due to it being out of stock at the time or unavailable in the US at the time are excluded from the No-Buy. For instance, the Essence Coffee collection was previously only available in Europe and the special holiday set of the Nyx Marshmallow primer I wanted did not get restocked, so I’m going to get the mini travel size of it.
When it comes to Lip Products, as mentioned in a previous post, the only exceptions are that I intended to buy additional Lip Clays from Kaleidos last year. I didn’t end up doing that purely because it wasn’t going to arrive in time before my six week trip. I decided to wait on buying those Lip Clays until the next Kaleidos launch caught my attention (the Smokey Nostalgia Collection). I’m also allowing myself to replace lippies with ones that may have gone bad, but I will purchase no more than 5 additional lip products in 2022.
Foundations are a NO-BUY unless it’s by Charlotte Tilbury, Pat Mcgrath, Make Up For Ever, MAC, or Nars. All of those brands (except PML) are ones who have made foundations I’ve loved in the past, and while I certainly have enough foundations to carry me into 2023, I don’t want to deny myself potentially trying a new or even old product from those trusted brands if they seem like they would be perfect for me. My overall goal is to buy zero foundations, but if those exceptions occur, I will not buy more than three for the entire year. I already have five listed exceptions, so I have to really think about which one gets to potentially be part of the three at the end.
Contours are a NO-BUY with Charlotte Tilbury and Pat Mcgrath Labs as exceptions. The raved about CT Contour Wands are something I’d like to try if she makes one that is dark enough to work for me and PML is just going to be an exception to every rule because I’m fascinated by the brand.
Powders are a NO-BUY except if Hourglass releases a single Ambient Lighting Powder to match me, but I doubt that one will happen. I’ve discovered I like finishing powders, but not setting powders, and I have enough of both so I will not get anymore this year. One other thing to mention is the Chantecaille Blur Finishing powder that I said last year I would repurchase in the Med/Dark shade if it became available for a significant discount and was not in the Flower Power packaging. I may still do that in the future, but that’s a low possibility.
Eyeliners are a NO-BUY except Stila’s liquid liners if they are half price or Sephora’s if I run out of Stila liners and just need an affordable but nice liner. However, I just bought a replacement Nyx liner during Black Friday, so with all that I currently possess, I should be set for the rest of this year.
Now, we’re getting to the toughest no-buys with the largest exceptions lists.
Bronzers are a NO-BUY except PML whose brand is due to introduce bronzers, Hourglass who is due for some deep bronzers, and CT if the brand creates a 4.5 shade between Tan and Deep. I have several powder and cream bronzers I really like and would love to make some dents in them. MAC, Make Up For Ever, and Nars may be too difficult to resist if they produce bronzers that are part of a special collection. As much as I want to try a lot more, I have to be realistic about the fact that bronzer just needs to add a warmth to my face, and there is an extremely limited amount of colors that can do that and still look natural on me. I have those shades already. Since Kosas, Huda/Glowish, and Benefit already make some of my favorite bronzers, I would have a hard time avoiding more from them, but those last three do not make my exceptions list. If I can end 2022 with under 3 new bronzers, I would still consider the No-Buy a partial success.
Blushes are a NO-BUY except MAC, Nabla, PML, Patrick Ta, Nars, Huda Beauty, Makeup by Mario, Rare Beauty liquid blushes in a mini form or if they introduce a powder version, Fenty, Clionadh, Oden’s Eye, Glossier, LYS Beauty, and CT. Technically, I made the caveat last year that I would allow myself to get a blush from Chanel and Dior, but I’m waiting for the perfect ones. I’m still very much on a blush kick. I want them all, but I don’t need a single additional one. The only way I can realistically curb my impulses to buy them all is if I have exceptions for my tip top favorite blush brands and/or the brands I haven’t tried many blushes from and am curious about trying more. The blush exceptions are mainly allowing for powder blushes. I have too many creams and liquids and will likely have to dispose of some this year, so that is my motivation to stick to powders unless the blush in question is in a mini size. Then I don’t feel quite as bad. I would be proud of myself if I could keep my blush purchases under 15 this year. That would be 82% less blushes than I bought last year when I lost all sense of reason and went blush crazy.
Highlighters are a NO-BUY excluding PML, Dior (a stipulation from last year), and if there’s a Limited Edition collection of something that I’m absolutely salivating over to purchase from, but there’s nothing in the collection I would actually use except the highlighter. This caveat I definitely need to be careful about because it ties in with my self-warning about limited edition products. But I’m trusting myself to be firm on this because I am most dissatisfied at how many highlighters I buy that are the same shades so many times over. I want to keep my highlighter number as close to zero as possible. That’s the goal, without putting an actual figure cap on it.
Finally, we’ve reached the LOW-BUYS! I must be careful not to overdo these, but I’m so picky about the products in this category that I don’t think I will have too much trouble being selective:
Face Palettes are a LOW-BUY allowing for brands like CT, PML, Huda Beauty, Uoma Beauty, Hindash, and Hourglass. I’ve always wanted one of those CT Instant Look in a Palette or face quads but there hasn’t been one that would suit my skin tone. PML would be an immediate purchase. Huda Beauty always interests me with face products, but I kept holding out for the perfect one. I wouldn’t want to deny myself if I finally saw one I thought was worth buying just because of this project. Uoma Beauty already had a face palette from 2021 I was interested in, but I was waiting to get it at a lower price since neither the light or dark palettes were really perfect for me. Now, Uoma is only on the exception list if they release a third better fitting face palette. Hourglass made the exceptions list because of their annual holiday palettes, provided they still make one this year and if it’s truly dark-skin friendly (but also not too deep for me).
Concealers are a LOW-BUY, but realistically, I’m content with the ones I have and I will likely only buy two additional concealers this year: Tarte Shape Tape when it’s half price and Pat Mcgrath’s shade 23. I have 22 and 24, but since I’m running low on both it makes more sense to just try 23 and get it while on sale. That shade has been sold out the last two times I tried to get it though, so we’ll see how long it takes. The only concealer I already purchased in 2022 was the KVD Good Apple concealer. Concealers are my least restrictive category because my needs are so particular that so few out there meet all criteria. So, I don’t mind buying several of them if I can actually find some to match all my personal requirements. Concealers are also the number one makeup items I use up regularly (out of the ones that suit me).
Lastly, when it comes to eyeshadows, I will likely only get one or two single eyeshadows from different indie brand collection launches because I’m pretty satisfied with my single eyeshadow collection. Clionadh is the only exception and I will just trust my self control and not get everything from them. However, I do have a rule on Eyeshadow Palettes, which is that I will purchase no more than 2 each month (and yes they can roll over). In 2020, I bought a whopping 52 palettes which is basically one a week. In 2021, I bought somewhere between 38-40 palettes. This year, I’m hoping to make it no more than 24. I consider a palette to be anything with 4 or more eyeshadows.
Regarding skincare, hair care, fragrances, etc. I’m on a low-buy for those and intend to buy as little new products in those categories as possible. I purchased very few new skincare items last year anyway. Also, I’ve technically been on a fragrance low-buy for years and I try to make use of all the free samples I get and the ability to buy travel sizes of perfumes.
So, this is my plan for the year! I intend to do some decluttering too. I also have some ideas of picking 4 blushes, 2 highlighters, 2 bronzers, and 2 eyeshadow palettes to use every month in order to get more use out of my collection! Or I will pick entire brands for the month. It’s like a “Project Pan” but without expecting to actually hit pan on any of the products. I’d be satisfied with some dips though! Please, wish me luck!
In 2021, I made “shopping my stash” a little more of a priority and got to know, enjoy, and rediscover some older favorites. However, I didn’t get to know as much of my collection as I wanted, to the point that I considered skipping doing a “Best of Makeup” post for the second year in a row. By now, this far into 2022, I’ve concluded some of the things I used last year and still love today deserve a spotlight, even if I don’t have a favorite in every category. So, rather than just sticking to products launched in 2021, I’ll be discussing the beauty products I loved that year, regardless of the release date.
Also, I’d like to note that I put the finishing touches of this post together very quickly while I was on vacation. I currently have six drafts that are all missing either a few more pictures or one more test in order to finish the reviews and I did not bring the necessary items with me, so it was either post this early or not release a post at all this week. If there are any grammatical errors I missed, I apologize.
EYE PRODUCTS
Eyeshadow Palette – Persona Identity Two
Given my deep love of eyeshadows, this should have been the toughest category to choose from but there weren’t many well rounded exciting palettes for me in 2021, so I chose the one that would have been named my favorite in 2020 and is still a love. The mattes are so smooth, blendable, and pigmented (but not overly so). The shimmers are easy to use and creamy. I love the tones of these shadows. There’s enough depth to do complete looks without having to dip into other palettes. I’ve made actual dents in the pans from use, which is rare for me. I’ve taken it traveling and I even loved it so much that I bought the original repackaged Identity palette in the hopes that it was the same formula in order to expand on what I already have. The only aspect missing for me is the lack of colorful mattes. They’re all very neutral which I guess matches the brand’s aesthetic. Of course, the Hindash Beautopsy palette is my star product of 2021, but because I tend to only use a shade or two in my eyeshadow looks, I didn’t want to put it in the Eyeshadow Palette Category.
Single Eyeshadow – ClionadhCosmeticsStained Glass Collection
I absolutely could not get through a favorites post without including the eyeshadows that I’ve been flat out obsessed these past few years. These shadows brought me so much joy and helped me amp up any eyeshadow look I created. I don’t want to spend too much time gushing about them since I do that enough already, but these are just phenomenal. In my opinion, their multichrome formula is the pinnacle. It doesn’t get better than these.
Devinah Cosmetics Multichromes are an honorable mention, as they also create beautiful shadows that are the closest to Clionadh’s quality that I have found between them, JD Glow, Terra Moons, Sydney Grace, etc. They have some fun and interesting shades that Clionadh hasn’t released yet, and although they don’t have Clionadh’s mirror finish, their metallic finish is still very enjoyable to use and look at.
Eyeliner – Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner
This is a rediscovered favorite. I’ve used this for many years, took a small break from it, and began loving it again this year. The tip makes it easy to draw a very pigmented and precise line. Once dry, it’s pretty much waterproof, though my regular makeup wipes are enough to remove it. It leaves a shiny finish, which is something to consider if you’re looking for a matte liner. The caution I have is when using this over Nyx Glitter primer. If too much of the primer gets on the tip, it clogs the porous spots and makes it very difficult to get the product out from then on. This means I have to be very careful when using it over a multichrome. A pencil liner, gel or cream pot liner, or liquid liner with a brush are better in those instances. Stila liners typically last me 6 months to a year, depending on how well the tip stays clean and if I’m using it alongside other liners.
If the formula is good, I tend to really like mascaras with lengthening fibers like what is in the Essence Mascara. It makes my lashes look longer and voluminous. There are times when I’ve felt my eye looks weren’t pretty enough without false lashes. I don’t get that feeling as much as I used to with this mascara. In addition, this is one of the rare mascaras that makes my lower eyelashes look good. My lower eyelashes are so fine that other mascaras don’t latch onto the hairs properly. They just glide right over, leaving the most minuscule layer that can’t be seen without making at least ten passes with the brush. By then, the lower lashes will get a random mascara clump or turn spidery towards the ends but look like there’s nothing closer to the roots because I couldn’t get the applicator close enough to the roots in enough layers before the tips clumped. With this Essence mascara, I can finally and easily have visible lower lashes! I also love that this is so affordable. I previously bought backups at even lower than the $5 retail price!
Another favorite is the Sally Beauty The Works Wow Effect All-in-One Mascara COL-LAB. This is another one that keeps me from missing false lashes. I can get nice length and volume with this, although the formula is a little on the thick side and will definitely not give the lashes a curl on its own. My lashes can stick straight up if I apply too much to the ends. I like the brush applicator which has a standard bristle side that I use to get the product on the lashes and a flared side that sticks out, like the L’oreal Butterfly mascara, which I use to comb out the lashes for length and making them clump-free. The wet formula being a bit thicker means I can use fewer coats to quickly get the amount of product I want, but it also means there’s more product to remove. It takes a bit of time to make sure the mascara is fully off my lashes, but I still like it enough that I would have bought several more if I didn’t prefer the Essence Mascara.
CHEEK PRODUCTS
Blush – MAC Blushes
In 2020, I would have said the Hourglass At Night Blush was a close second, but the clear winner for 2021 for blushes is MAC. I can’t even name a specific shade because I use and love all of them that I have in different formulas and finishes. I purchased 84 different blushes in 2021, quite a few of those being from MAC, (I’m insane I know) and this is why it was so difficult to decide which one was the best. I still haven’t used 10% of them, only tried some of them a few times, and the rest I enjoyed so much that I couldn’t choose how they ranked over each other without prolonged use. However, I’m always using at least one of my MAC blushes every two weeks. That certainly means something which is why I’ve chosen for them to win the blush category.
Highlighter – Hatice Schmidt Labs Highlighter in Medium
I am rating this as my Highlighter of the Year because it surpassed the Nabla Highlighter that was my previous holy grail product. However, I still have a few highlighters with a formula that I suspect could rise through the ranks if I used them more often. They just tend to be in shades I don’t wear as much. I plan to have a definitive answer on that in 2022’s rankings, but for now I don’t mind honoring this highlighter for its smooth, reflective formula that blends into the skin and adds glow without being too much.
FACE PRODUCTS
Foundation – Estée Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Foundation in 5N2
I thought for certain the Nars Soft Matte Foundation would win, but in the back half of 2021 up until now, I’ve used the Estée Lauder foundation nonstop. I love the finish, how it spreads, and how it wears. I was beginning to skip wearing foundations until I got my hands on this one. It definitely wins for me, even though they don’t have my perfect shade. 5N2 is the closest match and good enough, especially during Winter since my skintone is a bit lighter now.
Concealer – Tarte Shape Tape in Deep
Again, I thought the Pat Mcgrath concealer would take this spot but I’m back on the original Tarte Shape Tape train. It just gives me the least amount of trouble and wears the best, especially if I use the MILK Hydro Grip eye primer or Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector with it.
Bronzer – Kosas the Sun Show Moisturizing Baked Bronzer
Kosas wins this category, despite having some stiff competition from new favorites like the Huda Beauty Glowish Bronzer and Danessa Myricks Cream Bronzer. I like the shade, the radiance it imparts on my skin, the depth, the blendability, and smoothness. The only downside is still the awful smell of the product itself which hasn’t faded in all the time I’ve had it. And for those who are into the “Clean” movement, I believe this bronzer is part of that category.
Face Palette – Hindash Beautopsy Palette
These are the shades I use the most in this palette and after nine months the shades haven’t gotten mixed up or messy and it looks barely used! There is so much product in each pan!
Beautopsy is my product of the year and ultimate holy grail makeup item. I’m very happy that Beautylish now carries the brand so that it can be accessible to a lot more people. Other than concealer, which I would always wear to cover dark under eye circles, this is the only other product that I use every single time I put on makeup. For months. Consistently. It’s unheard of for me and I’ve raved about it endlessly on this blog. For my very in-depth initial review, I recommend clicking here. I put this in the Face Palette category, but this was a challenger for best blush, best bronzer, and best contour. The Kills shade is very similar to Nars’ Exhibit A in formula and color. The time it takes to mix the bronzer shade, plus me preferring a slight sheen, is why I didn’t list it as the best bronzer, and I stopped contouring in the latter half of 2021 which is why I kept that category off the list. If there’s anything I wish for everyone to try, it would be this palette.
Finishing Powder – Dior Backstage Face and Body Powder No-Powder
This product threw me for a loop. It took me a while to realize how smoothing, and flattering this made my skin look. My ideal color is somewhere between shades 4 and 5 as 5 worked great for half of the year, but when winter came I needed to repurchase shade 4. It was worth having two because I never want to be without a powder like this again. I nicknamed it “The Fixer” because of its blurring capabilities.
I recently started using the Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, which is another stunningly beautiful sheen bestowing powder, as well as the powders in Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting III trio, but I haven’t used them enough to decide which ones should be honorable mentions. As of right now, the Dior is still my top powder and has been for the past eight months or so.
TOOLS
Sponge – Tati Beauty Blendiful
RIP to the Tati Beauty brand. What an absolute shame that it had to be closed due to litigation and drama. My Blendiful sponge is super old and perhaps due to the sponge on the inside, I should probably toss it, but I’ve kept the outer cloth material very clean and it’s in amazing condition considering how long I’ve had it. It was said this could be washed via machine, but I always washed it by hand with a random cocktail of various cleansing soap products I own (Beautyblender Solid Soap, Dr. Bronner’s, Neutrogena Facial Cleanser, SigMagic Brushampoo Liquid, etc). There are zero tears in it and while I’ve always had an issue with the $18 price, nothing spreads and blends my foundation quicker or better than this. I saw whispers around the internet that this material is Minky/Minkee fabric, so I may try to make my own version one day. I have other tools to get perfectly blended foundation, but not in fifteen seconds like with this. I have been able to use the Blendiful to apply other types of makeup, but I prefer to use it exclusively for foundation, since my other tools do the other tasks faster and better.
Face Brush – Sonia G Cheek Pro
This wins as the overall favorite face brush because it’s the one I’ve used the most this year. Of all my fude, blush brushes are what I have the most of and the fact that this stands out among them speaks volumes. This is what it looks like after 16 months of use, which is pretty good considering how much I’ve put this brush through. I’ve always been tempted to buy a backup and the Lotus Cheek wasn’t close enough. I still want another, not out of fear of ruining this one but purely in case the price ever goes up, it ever gets discontinued, or I somehow lose it. I am trying to hold off though for a special edition handle in the future.
Eye Brush – Sonia G Builder Three
I chose the Cheek Pro as the winner because I used it the most, not necessarily as my number one favorite face brush (though it is one of my favorites). When it comes to the eye brush winner, this is the brush I used the most in 2021, but it’s also my absolute favorite eye brush in my collection. I definitely put this brush through a lot these past two years and in December I caved and bought myself a duplicate even though the Lotus Builder was supposed to be my backup. I have realized I prefer Sonia G’s dyed Saikoho Goat hair bristles over the undyed.
Anyway, those were all my favorites in 2021. Thank you for reading!
I’m a bloodhound when it comes to finding a good deal. I get such a rush out of it that I think even if I was wealthy, I would still try to avoid paying full price for anything online. Today, I’ll discuss the different ways I’ve been able to save money over the past seven years. All it takes is a little time (which is admittedly precious), patience, and consistency.
I don’t know if the websites I use are restricted to US-residents only, but there may be similar versions of cashback, discounted gift card, and promo code sites for other countries.
RAISE
I’m starting with the one that I have rarely heard anyone talk about. Raise is a website/app for buying and selling gift cards. I use the website to purchase discounted Ulta and Sephora gift cards, which are typically around 5% off, but occasionally there are sellers who are eager for the cash and will sell upwards of a 20% discount. This means a gift card worth $25 at Sephora would only cost $20 to buy. In addition, Sephora allows customers to use up to two gift cards per order. So, if I have an order that will cost me a total of $50 and I happen to have two $25 gift cards that I paid $20 each for, that means I would have only paid $40 out of pocket for that order!
How it works is that I purchase the gift card I want to buy. After my payment is processed and finalized, Raise emails me the link (it will also show on the account details page) with the gift card number and pin.
When I’m checking out at Sephora, I input the gift card details in the “Payment Method” section. If my subtotal exceeds the amount on the gift card, I can still add a second form of payment to cover the rest. If my subtotal is less than the amount on the card, I can use what’s leftover again later. That’s it!
Email links usually come quickly for me. I think the longest I’ve had to wait was a few hours. I’ve also never had an issue with the gift card amount being less than specified, or having leftover funds on the card go missing later.
According to my Raise history, I’ve saved $211.31 to date. It may only be a few dollars off at a time, but it adds up. Periodically, Raise will release promo codes that knock an additional 5 or more percent off a Raise purchase. So, that 20% discount from one seller could turn into 25% off with a promo code. There are other kinds of deals that Raise offers, such as Raise Cash, but that gets a little more complicated and it’s best to learn about those avenues directly from them. Also, I believe all Sephora and Ulta cards are for electronic delivery, but Raise also offers physical cards for stores that only allow gift cards for in-store purchases, so always check that before paying.
Using a discounted gift card is just the start of how I stack up savings. I believe there are other websites that sell discounted gift cards, but I only have experience using Raise. MyGiftCardsPlus is another place I buy gift cards sometimes, but it works differently.
Rakuten, Swagbucks, and MyGiftCardsPlus
I’ll start first with Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates. Rakuten is a cashback website/app, meaning you get a certain percentage of money back with every purchase. I think of it as though Rakuten is an Influencer who companies have paid to entice me to make a purchase, which Rakuten then gives me a portion of that back.
The cashback rate from specific makeup brands tends to stay the same, but Sephora and Ulta fluctuate more frequently, generally between 2-6%. Rakuten also has random days when hundreds of websites get a boost in the percentage of cashback, along with designated times for “15% off week,” like for their site anniversary and holidays. There are plenty of websites that offer this kind of service like Mr. Rebates and Ibotta, but I haven’t looked into them because managing two is plenty. I don’t want more than what I currently use. And yes, they do require some monitoring.
I find it easiest to use browser extensions for cashback purposes because if you linger too long on a website, it can deactivate, which you wouldn’t know if you merely used the cashback link. Sometimes during the payment process, if the website has a hiccup in loading, it can also cause deactivation or it not going through as having used Rakuten (or Swagbucks). So, I tend to check the list of store visits to make sure it went through, otherwise you have to contact customer service to get it fixed. It’s easy to contact them via Rakuten (though I haven’t had to do that since they used to be Ebates, so I don’t know if this is still the case), but Swagbucks is a bit of a pain. Their customer service sends general responses without even reading the details of the case half the time and it makes me wonder if it’s worth the few dollars, but I’m stubborn about certain things and this is one of them.
So, how it works is if I go on any website belonging to an affiliate of Rakuten, the browser extension will notify me. I just click to activate cash back and it will redirect the page. I know it worked when the icon becomes blue and says it’s activated. With Swagbucks, the symbol with a yellow circle turns into a green circle. You cannot have more than one cashback site activated at a time. The browser extensions also show promo codes that can be used at checkout, as well as list different products on sale. Raise is actually affiliated with Rakuten (and sometimes Swagbucks), so you can get a little cashback (I’ve only ever seen 1%) when buying a gift card from Raise!
I’ve gotten $654 from Rakuten since signing up in August 2015. They have a referral program for everyone and an ambassador program for influencers, but my savings total is purely from my own cashback spending. They’ve had different sign up bonuses over the years and the photo below shows the current one. I know how referral programs work, in theory, but I don’t have any first hand experience with them.
An important thing to know about Rakuten is that you only get paid 4 times a year (every 3 months). You can choose to have the money sent in the form of a check that will be mailed to your home address or via PayPal.
Swagbucks works like Rakuten regarding the cashback process of making a purchase through an activated link and getting credit for it. However, Swagbucks only pays in the form of gift cards, not cash, though a PayPal gift card is also an option. Everything is listed in SB. Every 100 SB is worth $1, and I can claim a gift card technically at any time, but gift card redemptions start at $5 or more, depending on which one I try to get. It can also take minutes to several days for the gift card link to be emailed, though it’s usually a day or two.
The cashback process from Swagbucks is a small part of what they do. They offer surveys for SB, viewing videos/ads/websites for SB, playing games for SB, in-store purchases, bonuses for downloading certain apps or signing up for different subscriptions, using their search engine instead of search engines like Google and Mozilla Firefox, entering codes found via their social media, a daily poll for 1 SB, different team events, raffles, etc. Over the years, the different ways to rack up SB have gotten to be so overwhelming that there’s plenty I still don’t even know about, even though I’ve been using Swagbucks longer than Rakuten. The site has gotten more complicated to use as well. For quite a few years now, I’ve basically just claimed my daily SB and used the cashback feature if it’s significantly higher than what Rakuten is offering. All the other avenues are just too much effort to be worth the time for me.
One other way I gain additional SB is when buying a gift card via MyGiftCardsPlus, which was started by Prodege LLC, the company behind Swagbucks. If I know there’s an event coming up that I’m likely to spend a decent amount of money on, such as the Sephora VIB sale or Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty or some upcoming holiday event, I will sometimes purchase a gift card ahead of time. Unlike Raise where I spend less money for the gift card, with MyGiftCardsPlus I’m buying the gift card at full value, but I get SB added to my account. This can sometimes be the boost to being able to then redeem another gift card from Swagbucks, if for instance, I currently have 700 SB and the MGCP purchase would give me 300 SB added to my account. Then I would have 1000 SB and be able to claim a $10 Sephora Gift Card. Gift Cards purchased from MGCP have taken minutes to days to be emailed to me, though mostly minutes to an hour.
But as I said before, this is only if I know I’m going to be spending money soon. I’m not saving money if I buy a gift card just because it gives an extra few cents bonus or there’s suddenly 3% more cashback at a retailer. Because if I do that, I’m likely going to buy things I normally wouldn’t. If I know I want to place an order and then activate cashback or buy a gift card prior to completing that order, that’s when I’m actually using these sites to my advantage rather than being tempted into extra unnecessary purchases. I know I personally have to be careful not the be tempted by any and every sale or discount that comes my way.
RetailmeNotand other Promo Code Websites
RetailmeNot is a promo code browser extension/website like Honey and Karma (Karma was previously named Shoptagr) that cycles through their list of company and user submitted promo codes to check if you can save any additional money off your purchase and/or if there is a better promo code than whatever you entered on the website.
I always check for promo codes and in the past I’ve saved up to 40% off on deals I didn’t realize were going on and wasn’t informed about despite being on different brands’ email lists. I’ve gotten free shipping, free items, bonus reward program points, etc. Promo codes have saved me a ton of money over the years and it’s actually shocking to me when I’m unable to find one at all.
RetailmeNot used to be my #1 source in the past, but since I’m buying more from indie brands and less from mainstream ones, I don’t use it as often. Plus, the promo codes listed via Rakuten tend to be satisfactory to me. I’ve noticed that Karma tends to have more indie brand promo codes than the others, which is especially useful since it’s mainly mainstream brands and huge companies that are associated with cashback sites, so it’s nice to still get a discount in those instances.
I used to have Karma in order to build a wishlist and get notified as soon as the item on my list changed in price. However, I’ve been unable to get that feature to work properly after I disabled and re-enabled that browser extension. In addition, Karma started to get very annoying, like whenever I clicked the button to close it and it would reopen the site in another browser tab (as if activating its cashback feature despite me trying to use Rakuten or Swagbucks), so I changed the settings so I have to manually click the extension icon in order for it to pop up. I am much happier with it now.
If all else fails, I do a general google search to see if any other coupon site has a valid promo code. Sometimes I get lucky, but usually if it’s not on RetailMeNot or Karma, I won’t be able to find one elsewhere.
Remembering Common Sale Dates
Oh, how it drives me nuts when I pay for an item and then just days later there’s a sale. It has happened enough times for me to start paying attention to when all businesses will likely have a sale, like Black Friday or specific holidays. I also try to keep track of when specific retailers and brands have their friends and family sales or anniversary sales. Ulta’s Platinum/Diamond tier Appreciation Day tends to be in August or September. The 21 Days of Beauty starts at some point in mid March and again in early September. Sephora tends to have their Spring sale in either March or April, as well as an end of Summer Sale in August. Occasionally they also have a “Sale on Sale” when items in their sale section get an additional 20% off.
There also tends to be great deals during one’s birthday month. Knowing these kinds of dates enables me to estimate if I should get something or wait a few weeks, provided the item I want isn’t likely to sell out. However, it’s not uncommon for certain items from Sephora to suddenly go “out of stock” just before a big sale and end up returning during the last few days of the sale. When that happens, make sure to select the option to be notified when the product is back in stock.
The absolute ultimate money savings combo is when I buy a discounted gift card, activate cashback, use a promo code for additional savings, and top it all off with an additional price deduction when using a company’s reward program. Plus, if you get cashback or rewards automatically on your credit card purchases via your credit card company, that’s an extra win! This has happened to me a few times, though I can’t remember which orders were the best ones at the top of my head, but here is an example. Some of the products in my order were deeply discounted because Ulta wasn’t going to carry them anymore, plus I used a promo code, I activated cashback, and I redeemed 2000 points. I paid about $36 for $170 worth of products at the sale price, not even including what the total would be at full retail.
Anticipating when to wait for a sale is helpful, but sometimes brands spring them on us without warning. In order for me to not miss a sale going on, I periodically check the Featured Deals at the top of Temptalia’s blog. I also follow beauty deal Instagram accounts like BeautyDealsBff and TrendMoodDeals. There’s an ongoing Sephora forum thread keeping track of deals as well, called “Deals Too Good to Pass Up” that I used to check a lot until I followed those IG accounts. Here is the current iteration as of today.
Another more recent example of utilizing a combination of money savings and perks of reward programs is when BeautyDealsBFF posted about the Nars Cheek Quad that was released early for Platinum and Diamond Tier Members at Ulta. There was a 20% off influencer promo code going on that would bring it down to nearly the same price as a single blush (which I almost purchased the day before). Each blush in the quad is nearly the same size as a full-size pan too. All four shades in the quad were colors I debated purchasing at one time or another, so I jumped on the opportunity.
First, I went to Raise and saw they had a “Black Friday in July” 5% savings bonus using the code JULYBF. So I paid $22.40 to get a $25 Ulta gift card.
Then I went to Ulta and added the items to my cart (including the current Ulta Nars Free Gift with Purchase).
Overall, the total would have been $41.18 with tax included. The promo code BeautydealsBFF shared brought it down to $33.38. For the remainder of the balance, I paid it with the $25 Raise gift card and $8.38 leftover was paid via a VISA gift card that I got from my credit card company as part of the credit card reward program. I didn’t pay that Raise gift card in full so, I essentially spent $22.40 out of pocket to get the Nars Quad, three Nars minis, and because I activated the 1% cashback for Raise and 3% cashback for Ulta via Rakuten, I’m getting cashback for those as well. And as Diamond Tier at Ulta, I get free shipping on orders over $25 so I didn’t have to pay for that either.
Utilizing Point Systems/Reward Programs
I could talk about different reward programs for ages. Some are better than others. For instance, one that bugs me is that Coloured Raine’s program allows you to exchange points for a coupon of $5 off a $30 purchase, $10 off a $40 purchase, or $15 off a $75 purchase. If you claim this coupon, you have to use it in place of a promo code. Coloured Raine’s sales are usually between 30-50% off, but instead of marking down everything on the site, you have to enter the sale code in the promo code spot, which is always going to give a higher discount than the reward program coupon will give. This means that the reward program coupon is only good for full price items, but why even bother using the coupon when you know you can get the item for even less money during the next sale? It’s nearly pointless except for new launches, which are few and far between with Coloured Raine. Puritan’s Pride is a health site, but I like that when I get enough points to redeem a discount, I can do it and still use a promo code.
My favorite kind of reward programs are the ones where I can exchange points for a certain amount of money off my order total. I don’t think anyone does it better than Ulta with their periodic 5-10x points events, offers to add a certain number of points to your account if you spend a specific amount of money, etc. I’ve talked about Ulta’s Reward Program before, and how you get the most money for the points at the 1000 ($50) and 2000 ($125) marks. I try my best to save up to 2000 points, but in the event that I really want something but am over budget, that’s when I will redeem 1000 points.
Ulta’s success forced Sephora to completely revamp their reward program and allow point for cash options too. However, it’s much harder to accrue points at Sephora since they don’t have point multiplier events above 4x and it’s usually on skincare or perfume, not makeup. 2000 points at Ulta could only take $200 on a 10x day, but 2000 points at Sephora really is closer to having spent $2000 (or I guess $500 if you really love skincare and expensive perfumes). 2000 points at Ulta gives $125 and could take $200-$2000 spending to accumulate. 2000 points at Sephora gives $100 and could take $500-$2500 spending to accumulate. We can clearly see which program is better. At Sephora, the value is worse at the more achievable level of getting $10 off a purchase in exchange for 500 points, but you’re not even allowed to do that during a VIB sale. I know because I’ve tried. Ulta hasn’t been giving out 20% off coupons like they used to, but in the past I would wait for that coupon and then use my reward points. Oh, how my wallet thanked me.
Even though the 2500 point option at Sephora is better than the 500 point one, I’m not waiting an eternity for that to happen. So, I have redeemed the $10 off several times since it’s so rare that anything in the reward section is of interest to me or attainable. Here is an example of when I put it to decent use. When I ordered The Pat Mcgrath Paradise Venus blush, I activated cashback, exchanged the 500 points for a $10 discount, and used a gift card that I got from Raise which was a promotional deal that I spent $3 to obtain a $15 gift card. So, I paid $18 out of pocket for the $38 blush.
It cannot be forgotten that reward programs aren’t free money. I still spent money in order to gain a little back, so I have to be careful not to buy things just to earn more points. Spending less will always be the best way to save the most money, but if I’m going to make a purchase, at least I can do all I can to make it count!
*DISCLAIMER: This post was not created to endorse any of the money saving websites discussed. I don’t know what (if any) ramifications there could be by filling out a survey with semi-private information or having browser extensions that keep track of every online store I visit and every purchase I make. I am just sharing the strategies and resources I found to spend less on my online purchases; they’re resources I’ve used for many years with little to no issues. Also, the links in this post are normal non-affiliated links. Everyone who signs up to websites like Rakuten, Raise, and Swagbucks, automatically get referral links generated for their accounts. I did not link mine because that is not the purpose of this post. I shared my tips solely to be helpful. Also, I did my best to explain how to use these websites, but reading the FAQ and/or TOS of each site will ensure you know anything I may have forgotten to mention.
That’s all for today! I wanted to post this before August because a lot of the big sales start from August onward, but I will be out of the country by that point. Thank you for reading!
Lili's Beauty Blog 