beauty Archives - Page 5 of 15 - Twenty Something Plus

March 9, 2016

My March 2016 Birchbox

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

It’s been a little bit since I’ve gone with the featured box for my Birchbox sample choice selection. But, for me, the March 2016 Birchbox, Ready for Anything themed box was the obvious option.

Parlor is a brand that I have heard a lot about through Birchbox, but didn’t think I’ve get in as a sample in my Birchbox. Just another reason to have selected this month’s feature box. I’ll be attending a conference soon and really hope this blowout spray will hold up throughout the weekend.

I’ve gone a little face mask crazy lately, and even managed to get the manfriend kind of, sort of into them a little too. Surprisingly, I haven’t tried any eye pads, so these Wilma Schumann ones will not go to waste! Maybe multi masking will be my next beauty endeavor…

Something a bit more familiar, is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. Having tried it before, I knew I liked it, but I’m happy to have some again. Plus, the container is great for travel!

Smashbox is one of the first beauty brands I ever tried and loved. A sample with not one, not two, but THREE colors is practically unheard of! I really want to order the full size version in Vignette.

Milk Makeup is a brand spanking new and I am excited to have gotten it through Birchbox. I wish the sample was a bigger (and another color), but I’m happy I get to try it out.

Curious to know if Birchbox is for you? Give it a try, sign up here!

March 8, 2016

Lune+Aster Makeup Look

Growing up, I never thought I’d be even half as makeup obsessed as I am. I wouldn’t say that makeup is my passion, exactly, but I certainly am passionate about makeup.

Trying products out in various colors is fun, and I absolutely love it when I find new makeup bag staples. When I tried Lune+Aster that I received from Blue Mercury, I found just that.

The Lune+Aster Vitamin C + E Lip Gloss in Teacher and Stratosphere Volumizing Mascara are both Vegan products that create a natural makeup look. You can literally swipe and go!

I tried layering the mascara with other mascaras and didn’t love the outcome. But alone, loved it for an understated, everyday look. As for the lipgloss, Teacher makes an excellent nude. While I adore my NYX lipgloss in Praline, Lune+Aster in Teacher is equally as amazing, minus the scent, which a lot of people don’t like.

Both will definitely be found in my purse on a regular basis. And I for sure will be trying the lipgloss in different colors. I’m thinking Editor in Chief or Rebel next…

February 29, 2016

Birchbox Lip Sync Kit

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Apparently, in addition to Black History Month, February is also (unofficially) lipstick month.

Or something like that…

I almost missed the memo, but Birchbox didn’t and even had a lip product themed add-on option.

I don’t do add-ons very often, but decided to for my February Birchbox and it was such a good life choice!

The Lip Sync Kit included four lip colors (two of which are full size), a lip pencil and a lip scrub. $68 worth of products for only $30.

Laura Geller New York Lip Strip Smoothing Sugar Scrub | $16

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Liquid Lipstick in Strumpet | $16

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso | $24

ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner | $20

POP Beauty Matte Velvet Lipstix Trio in Satin Rose | $24

IPKN Twinkle Lips in Glow Pink | $18

From left to right: ModelCo, OCC, POP Beauty, Stila, IPKN

After attempting to do a 5 Day Lipstick Challenge that didn’t go as smoothly as I’d planned. I’m going to try again with One Woman Style’s 30 Day Lipstick Challenge, starting tomorrow.

I highly doubt that I’ll do all 30 days, but I don’t really intend to. My goal is to challenge myself to wear lipstick a little more often, instead of just hoarding lip colors. Including the ones in the Lip Sync Kit.

February 26, 2016

The HydraFluid Foundation I’ve Been Using Non-Stop

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Back in June, I found the first foundation that I absolutely loved. And since then, I haven’t been able to find one that I liked nearly as much.

That is until Pür sent me their HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation to try.

It is amazing and I can’t stop using it!

I swatched all five shades, but clearly some of them are far too light for me. I gifted the lightest two (light and medium), but kept the darker three (tan, dark and deep). Deep was basically a perfect match, just a little off. I fixed that by adding a couple drops of the dark.

This combo had worked wonders for me and I can’t imagine not having it at least as an option. So much so, that I snagged them from fellow beauty blogger, The Feminine Files.

Thanks to Kristina, I was also able to try the Pür Cameo Contour Sticks in both dark and deep, which I had really been wanting to. I don’t always contour, but when I do I like it to be super easy!

Which foundation can you not live without?

February 25, 2016

My February 2016 Birchbox

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

When I first learned about the new Birchbox brand Arrow, I wanted to try it. All of it. So, when they announce that the BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm was one of the sample choices, there was no doubt in my mind that it was what I would be selecting for my February 2016 Birchbox.

I didn’t even really care what the other products would be all that much and trying them all is still on my to do list, but I’m very happy with what all I got.

Especially the Color Club nail polish in That’s My Jam.

Even though I have it in a somewhat similar color already, no complaints here.

The Corioliss Argan Conditioning Mask, is an intense five minute conditioning treatment. Which would be great if I could just remember to bring it in with me into the shower!

I found the BORGHESE Fango Purificante Clay Cleanser to be of interest. One of the reviews mentioned that it left their skin feeling particularly dry. After reading that, I’ve decided to hold out on trying this particular sample until the summer, in order to hopefully save my face the same fate.

Fragrances can be a hit or miss. I own a ton (mostly samples), but tend to use the same few more often than not. I didn’t exactly love the Catherine Malandrino Romance de Provence Eau de Parfum, but I also didn’t exactly hate it. I don’t think it will be one of the few.

I just got the sample choice email for March, can’t wait to share my choice! Do you have a Birchbox subscription? What sample did you choose?

February 22, 2016

NEW Bioré Baking Soda Cleanser and Pore Scrub

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyBioreFizz #CollectiveBias

Bioré introduces a new product and just like that spring cleaning takes on an entirely different meaning for me!

In the winter my skin can be very very dry.

But as the snow starts to melt, that changes. And so does my skincare. The new Bioré Baking Soda Cleanser and Cleansing Pore Scrub are exactly what my combination skin has been needing.

Both products exfoliate my dry flaky skin, without irritating it. The Cleansing Pore Scrub is unlike any product I’ve ever used, here’s how you use it:

Start by pouring some of the scrub (about the size of a quarter) into your hand, after wetting your face.

Then add water and watch as it really start to fizz!

Apply the “fizz” to your face and then gently massage it and feel it as penetrates your pores. What I really like about this product is that you have complete and total control over the level of exfoliation.

Too coarse?

Add more water.

Want to dial it up a bit?

Add more powder.

Rinse.

And then just pat dry with a face towel.

Now you’re all spring clean!

While the scrub is super fun to use, for daily use, I recommend using the Bioré Baking Soda Pore Cleanser.

If you have oily skin, as I tend to in the summer, you should try Bioré Charcoal products instead.

All of which is available to pick up on your next trip to Walmart!

How much do you want to try out the new Bioré Baking Soda Pore Scrub?

February 9, 2016

Better Beauty with Beautycounter

I know I’m not exactly the healthiest person, but one of my goals this year is to try to be more conscientious of what I put into my body. As well as what I put onto my body.

This is much easier said than done.

Especially with makeup.

But Beautycounter is out to change that.

I met up with Emily of Beautycounter to learn about the products they offer and test some of them out for myself.

I had already sampled their Body Glow Scrub and Hydrate Body Lotion, because they were in the Monarch Workshop swag bag.

But it was the makeup that I really wanted to try out!

My personal favorite product (that I will most definitely be getting), is the Touchup Skin Concealer Pen.

Unexpectedly, I also really liked the Color Contour Matte Brozner (in No. 2). I didn’t think it would be dark enough, but it created a very natural looking contour.

Using the brushes was a real treat!

I seriously want them all.

Safe beauty is better beauty.
Here’s the before and after…

Face: Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer in No. 5, Touchup Concealer Pen in No. 2, Color Sweep Blush Duo in Tawny/Whisper and Color Contour Matte Bronzer in No. 2
Eyes: Color Outline Eye Pencil in Black and Color Define Brow Pencil in Dark
Lips: Lip Gloss in Sienna

A nice, yet naturally enhancing, look. And you can still clearly see the difference.

If you’re interested in learning more about Beautycounter, you can contact Emily, here!

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February 5, 2016

Splurge or Save: Straightening Hair Brush

During my 12 Days of Christmas Wish Lists the hair wish list included a $300 straightening brush by Dafni. While a lot of hair tools aren’t cheap, I just couldn’t justify spending that much on something I wasn’t even sure would work that well on my hair type.

But, thanks to a boutique deals website called Jane, I was able to get my hands on a much more affordable one.

It has rubber ball tips to help prevent burning your scalp. I broke one of the rubber tips off the first time I used it, to me it wasn’t a huge deal, but it is something worth mentioning.

Also worth mentioning, the temperature is in Celcius, not Fahrenheit, so you do have to keep that in mind when setting it. I’m not great with number and really not good with converting degrees, so I’ve been setting it to the highest temperature and then turning it down a few from that. It gets pretty hot, but definitely takes more that a few seconds to heat up.

More to keep in mind is that I have course chemically relaxed hair. It works well with my hair, but if my hair were natural, I don’t know that it’d be all that much better than just combing and using a flat iron.

I still haven’t tried the $300 version, because, well, it’s $300. But I can say that a straightening brush for around $20 is very much so worth it!

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February 4, 2016

My 5 Current Makeup Favorites

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links.

If you were to open up my purse and pull out my makeup bag, either two weeks ago or right this second, these five products are definitely in there.

I may not use all of them everyday, but they are my current makeup favorites and I use them often enough to feel like I have to have them on my person at pretty much all times.

Had you asked me prior to receiving the Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara free from Influenster, I would have said my favorite mascara was Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. While it is still one of my top mascara’s the Velvet Noir is just, well, better!

What I mean by that is, I am much happier with the way my lashes look when using the Velvet Noir Mascara. Plus, for a limited time get a free mini Le Marc Lip Crème and a mini Velvet Noir Mascara with any Marc Jacobs Beauty order.

Use code: FEB16. (I want to get their coconut face primer and keep the mini Velvet Noir in my bag and my current full-sized one on my vanity.)

The only thing that could possibly make Better Than Sex my number one again is if it came in waterproof…

I have been wanting to experiment with lip colors, but at the same time not wanting to go broke. In doing so, I have fallen head over heels in love with NYX. Right now I’m obsessed with their Butter Gloss in Praline. It makes a really great nude for darker skin tones.

Speaking of skin tones, I was given PÜR HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation to sample and found that by mixing one part Dark and one part Deep it matches my skin color perfectly! It’s light and dewy and gives my face a natural looking glow.

When I saw the Maybelline FaceStudio Master Contour kit all over my Instagram feed, I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I think I may have even secretly wanted to hate it a little bit. But the Medium to Deep palette created such a soft, natural looking contour that it quickly became one of my go-to’s.

If you already follow my on Instagram, you know my brow game isn’t a game. I usually use e.l.f Cosmetics Cream Eyeliner in Coffee and top it with NYX Tinted Brow Mascara. This process takes a while. Time that I don’t always have. But, with Benefit Instant Brow in Dark, I can do my brows even when I’m in a hurry.

And right now, Benefit Cosmetics is offering a free full-size Instant Brow pencil (in your shade) with any $55 order.

Use code: “LIGHT”, “MED” or “DEEP”, depending on the shade you want.

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February 3, 2016

Ocean Mineral Cleanser

I’d told myself, that I was going to use up the skincare products I have before trying any more new ones.

But Oz Naturals changed my mind with their Ocean Mineral Cleanser. I mean, they pretty much always do that to me, their products are vegan and organic, so I can almost never resist.

Really, they had me at ocean.

That and organic rose hip oil.

I’ve been using it for over a week now and I really like it. It gets my face clean, but gently. After I clean off my makeup, I wash my face with the Ocean Mineral Cleanser so make sure there won’t be any makeup stains on my pillows. Hasn’t let me down yet!

Now if only using it could make it summer and put me on a beach by the ocean somewhere…