Since I kinda went a little overboard with beauty products recently I wanted to share a few that I have tried out and all the pros, cons, loves, and hates.
- Julep Maven Polish - The consistency of their polish varies between colors, some are really opaque and only take one coat and others could take up to 4 coats!! I also recently looked on the bottle and saw that their bottle size is about half what a standard nail polish is... the average nail polish is .5oz, but Julep is .27oz. At $14 a bottle (unless you are part of Julep Maven's monthly subscription) it isn't worth your money in my opinion because you could get similar colors in polish that is the same quality much cheaper in stores. I discontinued my membership in June because I would rather save the money than have a huge collection of nail polish.
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| Four coats later.... completely opaque. |
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| Four coats on my hands and two on my toes and this is how much was used. |
- Alessandro International Heel Rescue Balm - I received this in my July Glossybox and have used this product twice in the past week. I slathered on my feet generously and sat back to watch tv to my surprise it didn't take as long as I thought to soak in (some products I have to let it soak in and then put socks on). It's moisturizing without feeling greasy and it has a fresh mint scent to it. I would consider purchasing but it isn't offered here in the US so unless I do some searching I will have to wait.
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| I should get a good ten or so more uses from my sample |
- Tarte Blush and Bronze On the Go - I was in the market for a new bronzer at Ulta one Saturday morning and after comparing prices and colors for almost 15 minutes I had one in my hand in line and saw this duo set at the register and then I saw the price ($15 for both) and I put the one that was in my hand up and purchased these two. The Park Avenue Princess bronzer and Amazonian Clay blush have been my favorites for the past two months and I like that they are smaller sized because I can use them before they get old and gross and not throw any away. While I don't carry these in my purse, I would appreciate a mirror on the container (especially since these are supposed to be travel sizes).
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| The packaging is adorable |
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| You can tell I have used the bronzer much more than the blush |
- Urban Decay Original Primer Potion - I've read and watched several reviews on this product over the past few months and the feedback has been nothing but positive. Sometime in mid July we were at Nordstrom Rack and I stumbled upon this little gem for $7.95 and I grabbed one to try out. I have previously used the Nar's eyeshadow primer that I received through Sephora but it has been long gone, I replaced it with Two Faced's Shadow Insurance but it was just greasy (and lets be honest, who wants greasy eyelids?). This stuff is a nude color and goes on great, shadow stays put until I remove it and there isn't any funky smells. I imagine that this was at Nordstrom Rack because they redesigned the packaging (I'm okay with getting it at a fraction of the cost!)
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| Excuse the poor image - a dog ran into my leg and I forgot to retake... |
- theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac - I received this lip stain in my Birchbox a few months back and initially I was turned off because of it's gel like texture but after trying it out a few times I have grown to love it. I typically line my lips in a natural color (light pink or nude) before applying this to keep it put and then blot off the excess product (since it can come out in large amounts). It's a great color (not this red at all) on your lips and after it dries in you don't even know it's there. I've been using this every time we go out recently. The negative is that the picture below is the full size at $17.
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| Little package but big pay off. |
- Senna Double Dose Lip Lacquer - I wanted to like this lip gloss, I really did. The colors on are a nice shimmery nude and light rose color but I couldn't get over the plasticy taste and the super sticky texture. It's ashamed because it looks great over stains but this product is one that will probably lay in the cabinet for a while before getting tossed. I'm puzzled by it because it runs $22 for the full size in my hand below... Senna's other products are also on the pricey side and I hope they are better quality than this lip gloss. Sorry Senna.
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| No thanks. |
- Amore Pacific Moisture Bound - Best moisturizer ever award goes to.... Amore Pacific. This product is great I can put it on without feeling greasy or heavy even in the summer months. The product is a hydra-gel and oil free with a minimal scent. The downfall is that is costs $100 and I just can't fork it out. I think $35 would be the max I would ever spend on a facial product. I'll happily use this product until it is out and probably sit it on a shelf to remind me of how great it is!! (jk on the shelf thing, lol)
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| Little tub of heaven |
I'll share more products that I love and hate next month.
