New & Improved Daily Routine

Since upgrading my entire makeup collection, I've developed a new routine. While it takes about 10 minutes versus 5, it's still so worth it and I feel so much cuter all the time ;)

Our guests, in order of appearance on my face: 

1. EcoTools kabuki brushes, each labeled for buffing, contouring, bronzing and concealing. They are SO SOFT and blend so well!

NOT PICTURED- Benefit's Fake Up, the most amazing, hydrating under eye concealer. The packaging is beautiful, how did I forget to take a photo?!

6. Mac Studio Fix Powder in NW25

2. Ben Nye Banana Powder- I was afraid this might be too yellow for me but I love it! I use it under my eyes over my concealer, and a little on the center of my forehead and down my nose. I wait until I apply my Hoola Bronzer and then blend it all together to contour and highlight. 

5. Hoola- see my review on this! Love it.

3. Benefit Brow-zings in Medium Brown

7. Bare Minerals eyeshadow in Chenille on my lids for a really neutral, matte look.

9. Clinique High Lengths mascara- see my review on this one, too!

8. Clinique Quickliner in brown-black under the outer half of my bottom lash line and smudged using the built in smudge stick.

4. Lastly, I use this Clinique Chubby Stick religiously. This one is Plushest Punch, which happens to be my favorite, and if I don't have it in my purse, I can touch it up with the hot pink Baby Lips color.

So that's my new routine! Tried and tested for at least three weeks now and it hasn't failed me, and it's been exciting to try out so many products and return the ones that don't work (Benefit They're Real sucks, I lost so many eyelashes to removing that damn mascara).

Birchbox vs. Ipsy Glam Bag

I've long been a fan of getting mail- I check the mailbox every day at the same time like clockwork. When I discovered Birchbox, my mail game was instantly upgraded. Every month, I received a cute little box with about six high-enx products, usually sample-sized but still fun. Almost every month I would have a new perfume sample, a mini nail polish, a hair tie or shampoo sample, and some kind of beauty product like double stick tape. Afte a year, I realized I'd spent $120 and had very little to show for it besides a drawer full of samples.

Birchbox- Just for the record, this is a box advertised on their website- I belonged to the company for a year and NEVER got a box this good! Don't get me wrong- you'll occasionally get something good... but never more than one thing in a box... and never full size.

That's when I discovered the Ipsy Glam Bag and my life changed forever. Suddenly, I had full size nail polishes. Full sized! I had full-sized roll-on perfumes, full-sized lip stains or lipsticks, full-sized eyeliners or eyebrow color or lip liners, and a travel-sized hair product. Every month! And not to mention, it all comes packaged in a cute travel makeup bag, not a cardboard box! I immediately canceled Birchbox and dedicated myself to the Ipsy Glam Bag.

Ipsy Glam Bag- this is an actual bag I received and everything in it was awesome. While the eyeshadows are small, they're great quality (Coastal Scents) and last forever. The mascara is decent, and the lash cards are a lifesaver. The eyeliner pot is fullsize.

While I'd love to keep stocking up on samples, as I do use them, I feel Birchbox is less directed at me and what I need and moreso on whatever company is giving them sample products each month. With Ipsy, I am getting things I will actually use every month. It's pretty awesome! 

Birchbox and Glam Bag are both available at $10/month.

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

For my birthday, my friend who works at Clinique showed up with a bag full of goodies for me to try! The first one being Cliniques new High Lengths Mascara. I've always been a fan of their mascaras but I'd never heard of this one, so I had to try it out for my birthday date with my husband. After wearing Benefit's They're Real mascara (see last week's post) for a few weeks, my eyelashes needed something more gentle but that offered lots of volume rather than just length. The High Lengths is exactly what I needed! 

Packaging

What a cool brush! The brush part is about an inch long and curves perfectly to your eyelashes.

Awkward action shot 

After just one coat!

Before & after

This is absolutely my new favorite mascara! It washes off easily without losing any lashes. I recommend you run straight to Clinique and pick up one for yourself!

They're Real - Mascara by Benefit

If you have an Instagram and any interest in makeup, chances are you have seen the infamous They're Real mascara by Benefit. After seeing 92750 girls and makeup artists posting about mascara, I finally dropped the $18.99 to give it a try.

PROS: 

It absolutely gives great eyelash coverage- the tip of the wand is a little spikey ball to get to even the corner lashes. I didn't notice a huge difference in volume- it gives me more of a long, thin lash look, which is okay with me, but I am not incredibly amazed by the results- only slightly amazed ;)

CONS: 

It's so hard to get off. Like so hard. I don't usually use makeup remover, I just use water to take off my makeup and then wash my face, but water doesn't do much with this mascara. I have to scrub my eyes raw to remove it. I may have to buy makeup remover for the first time in my life! But I really do like the results, so it may be worth the extra work. 

BOTTOM LINE: WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN?

Nope. I returned it! Once I tried a sample of the Clinique High Lengths mascara, I was hooked. I lost way too many lashes to trying to get They're Real- not cute!!

Currently listening to: "Do You?" by iFFY the Bad Man