Sephora + Ulta Haul

Recently, I've bought a couple of things from Sephora and Ulta. Of course, being a broke college student, I should know better. Buuuut...obviously makeup is my weakness. And if we're being honest, I'm pretty excited about the free stuff I got as well, so I'm including that in this haul as well!

First, let's start with a couple of things I got from Ulta.

As I was scouting the drugstore aisle, I spotted this bright teal gel liner from NYX. My first thought was, "That would make my eye color pop so well!" And then I saw the name of it, which just so happened to be Danielle. Of course, I automatically assumed it was meant to be, and picked it up. It is absolutely gorgeous and wears beautifully as well.

I think I spent all spring and summer looking for the perfect muted melony coral color. I found a few, but they all just came off too orange, and most other came off way too pink. Essie's "Haute as Hello" is the perfect in between! Despite how much I've been wanting it to be fall, I have been wearing this polish as a last hurrah for the summer. Mostly since I have been looking for this exact shade all summer long!

I had heard such amazing things about the Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather collection, so I had to try it! I decided to pick up a neutral color that could be used as an all-over cream base, I picked up the color "Creamy Beige," which dries down to a satin, kind of brown, kind of taupe color, and is perfect for all over the lid!

Sephora was having an amazing sale, where select items were up to 50% off! I was in desperate need of a new body scrub, so I picked up the Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff. This scrub is normally $25, but I got it for a total steal at $15!  It isn't the classic pink scent, but very similar, with just a hint of musk.

This is probably my favorite item in this haul! Sephora was selling limited edition OCC duos, with a full sized lip tar and full sized nail polish! I picked up the set in "Black Dahlia," for only $15! This is seriously the best deal ever, considering the full size of the lip tars are normally $18, and the full size of the nail polish is normally $10! Unfortunately you can no longer purchase this set.

Of course, I also have to talk about free stuff. They had a promo code for a deluxe sample size of the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, so of course I grabbed that. I'll probably save it for when the weather gets cold and dry, since my skin hasn't been particularly dry as of late. With my Beauty Insider points, I also grabbed a sample size of the Benefit The Porefessional, which everyone raves about but I have yet to try. 

That's it for this haul! Sorry I've been so AWOL lately, life has been so hectic! I do have a few posts planned, so keep an eye out for those!

- D. 

July Favorites

I have really been itching for July to end. Of course, every month I'm like, "Oh wow, this month went by so fast!" But I feel like July has really dragged on. I probably feel that way because I'm moving across the country in about three weeks! Anyways, I kicked off  July with some amazing purchases at PHAMExpo, and I've had an awesome month for beauty products because of it.

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser. This stuff is freaking amazing. I am notorious for being really lazy about cleaning my brushes. That's why I kind of hoard brushes, so I don't have to clean them so often! However, between deep cleans, I use the Solid Cleanser to keep everything sanitary, so that when I do finally deep clean my brushes, I don't have as many to clean! It also dries super quickly, so you don't have to wait a few days for your brushes to dry.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. This contour palette has changed the way I contour my face! The center taupe color is the perfect contour shade for me, and I love using the banana color to highlight under my eyes, while using the shimmering pink color to highlight the tops of my cheekbones. When I had my wisdom teeth removed earlier this month, this contour kit really helped to make my chipmunk cheeks look a lot more normal! As you can see in the photo, this palette is already being very well loved.

Matrix Biolage Fortetherapie Strengthening Conditioner. I have had an amazing hair month, and I completely attribute it to this conditioner. I started using this conditioner early in the month and my hair as been completely transformed! It is so much stronger and healthier than it was before. I use it every other wash in conjunction with my Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Color because it is a bit pricey, but it is seriously worth every penny to have my color-damaged hair feel this soft and healthy!

Aussie Sprunch Mousse + Leave-in Conditioner. Supposedly this mousse is meant for curly hair, but I like using it to give me a little bit more control over my hair. Like I said, I've had an awesome hair month, and this is another product I've tried that I really believe has helped my hair! The leave-in conditioner that is built into this mousse is not heavy at all, and the mousse really helps to hold texture, which my hair has very little of. When I get out of the shower, I will run this through my hair and twist sections of my hair, and it just gives me a really effortless look! And when I curl my hair, this mousse gives me such a defined, piecey look!

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep. I always talk about how much I hate my brows, but this product has seriously changed the way I look at them. I still fill my brows lightly, but this tinted brow gel has a fiber formula that makes my brows look like they grow that way naturally! It gives just enough volume to my brows to make them seem natural without looking at all overdone, and the tiny little wand is perfect for keeping your application precise!

I always try to keep my favorites narrowed down so that you don't have a huge wall-of-text to read, but I found so many incredible products this month! Let me know your favorite products in the comments below!

- D.

REVIEW: Benefit They're Real Push Up Gel Liner Pen

I am obsessed with gel liners, and I love any product that comes in the ease of a pen. So when Benefit sent out their press email announcing the "They're Real!" Push Up Liner, I had to have it! I remember hearing about the Maybelline version of this a while back, but it wasn't released in the US, so I got even more excited knowing that finally a brand would sell a gel liner pen in the US.

Let's start with packaging.

The box is very similar to Benefit's best selling "They're Real!" Mascara, with claims that read:

• "91% said it was long wearing"
• "81% said it was waterproof"
• "86% said it hugged the lashline"
• "84% said eyes looked visibly larger"

The product comes in a  pen with a screw-on cap, which means that the cap won't accidentally pop off and make a mess. This makes this liner perfect for your on-the-go makeup bag! To dispense the product, you twist the bottom until product comes out. The first time I used this pen, it took probably 10 clicks to get the product out. After that, it takes 3-5 clicks to get product out.

On the box, you can find a description of their AccuFlex tip. It says "Custom soft, angled tip gets the matte black, smudge-proof liner close to your lash line." That's debatable. While I do like the softness of the tip, I struggled to get close to my lash line. When I dispensed the product, it would ball up on the end, and getting just the right amount of product was a bit of a challenge. 

I also really struggled to get a precise line with the applicator. When you first apply the liner after clicking a few times, it really just kind of clumps onto your lash line, and I often felt that I was just smearing it around with the silicone tip. It wasn't until there was almost no product on the tip that I could finally get a precise line, but then it wasn't exactly opaque.

In terms of longevity, it's pretty average, in my opinion. It is water resistant, but definitely not water proof. When rubbed with a wet finger, it did smudge, but it didn't completely come off. When using my Garnier Cleansing Micellar Water, it began to come off with little effort, which makes it seem quite silly that they are also selling an $18 remover gel to go with the "They're Real!" line. I've taken naps while wearing this liner (I know, bad Danielle), and it smudged like nobody's business, significantly worse than a lot of drugstore liners that I have slept in before.

Another thing I've noticed with this formula is that is flakes. A lot. After wearing this liner for maybe 3 hours, I would have friends come up to me to clean black chunks off my cheeks. While it does stay black and generally opaque all day, it tends to get a bit patchy due to the flakiness of the product.

Final Thoughts? I'm really disappointed that I dislike this product so much. I wanted to love it, I really did. But for $24, I can't really recommend this product. There are drugstore liners that do a much better job for a third of the price. I really wanted to be able to rave about this liner, but, once again, the "They're Real!" line has let me down. I feel like this liner is incredibly gimmicky, and honestly, it's going straight back to Sephora.

However, I will mention something. I received the "They're Real!" Remover as a sample when I purchased this liner, and I actually really like it. While I don't think I can justify paying $18 for a makeup remover, it does a beautiful job of removing waterproof makeup! Since it's summer and I've been super busy, I've switched to a waterproof mascara, and it makes my lashes look like I was never wearing mascara at all. 

What a bummer, huh? Do you have any products you just really wanted to love, but couldn't?

- D.