Showing posts with label beauty haul

Sephora Haul + Mini Reviews | October 2015

in , , , , , , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
I am officially going on a No Buy November just because of the past few days. I've shopped a lot this
month but I think this weekend takes the cake. Between a Bath & Body Works Haul, some J.Crew shopping, and these three Sephora hauls (and hopefully one more today when the Champagne Glow Palette comes out).

But really, I don't know what came over me this weekend. There were just some things I needed at Sephora, and then some free gifts I wanted and some little trinkets I wanted and had my eye on for a while.

I prefer shopping online at Sephora because I get completely overwhelmed by the store. I am also more likely to put things away when I'm walking around the store and have time to think about all the money I'm spending. But probably the thing I love most about shopping online at Sephora are all the free gifts you can get.

I usually always spend $25 or more so I get deluxe size samples using special codes I find on the Sephora mobile app or on RetailMeNot. This is a great way to try new products or get some extra goodies in your order. 

Also online there seems to be a lot more reward samples that you can redeem rather than in store, and of course, there are the 3 free samples that you can redeem at checkout no matter the price point of your order.

With all that out of the way, I got a lot of stuff between my purchases and free goodies and it's overwhelming but exciting. I really have a makeup/beauty/skincare problem but I don't care -- I love trying new products and reviewing them.



My original purchases that I paid for are exciting and I can't wait to tell you about them!

Lolita Lip Duo: This was my latest purchase because I saw an article on Allure.com telling me that this was on sale. Kat Von D's famous Everlasting Lipstick Shade in Lolita is ALWAYS sold out and it's super frustrating. When I saw that there was a mini size of Lolita and the new shade Lolita II in a set, I didn't even hesitate to buy it. I haven't worn them on my lips yet but the shades are perfect for the season and I've only heard good things so I can't wait!

With this purchase, I redeemed a 100 point perk which was the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate, the famous "Hollywood 2 Minute Facial". I've always wanted to try this and I've been in an exfoliating mood so what better time to redeem this!



Shine Bright Statement Lash Essentials: This was definitely a splurge, impulse purchase. I have been wanting to try something from the Tarte holiday collection but nothing that has truly caught my eye, until I saw this little set for $20. I don't have an eyelash curler so why not buy this gorgeous, encrusted studded one that comes with a deluxe sample of a best selling mascara? I'm obsessed with the eyelash curler and have been using it the past few days -- it really curls my lashes and holds the curl, perfectly prepping my eyes for mascara. I haven't used the mascara yet because I have SO many open right now but I know I'll like this too.

Dr. Jart Pore Minimalist Mask: I wanted something else to buy with the Shine Bright Essentials to get a free deluxe sample and what better to buy than a face mask? I have used this mask before and I've felt like my skin needs all the pore minimizing it can get. The charcoal based mask makes all the difference in helping repair my skin and I'm waiting for a good night to use it and pamper myself.

With this purchase, I decided to get the belif Hungarian Water Essence serum. Belif is a Korean brand  that has all these amazing skincare products and I've been wanting to try them for a while. I used this the other day and it felt incredible on my skin. It was deeply hydrating and refreshing which is exactly what I want in my skincare.

Sephora Anti Fatigue & Energizing Eye Mask: I love these Sephora brand eye masks and I was running out. The Anti Fatigue mask is my favorite because I always feel like my skin needs it. I love these eye masks because they really do feel refreshing on the skin and make a little difference. It also feels like the highest stage of pampering and I love that!

Tarte Maracuja C Brightener Eye Treatment: This is the bad boy that started it all. I needed a new eye cream since I ran out of my Murad Renewing Eye Cream. I went on about this baby in my updated skincare routine in yesterday's post so I won't ramble but it's amazing.

Top to Bottom: Lolita, Lolita II, Bite Lipgloss, Bite Lipstick
I got the most goodies in this order since I redeemed a 250 point perk in the Bite Beauty Lip Lab in Kir Royale perk. Bite puts out these adorable little perk kits that come with deluxe samples of their Rogue Cream lipstick, lip gloss, and a mirror. I love Bite Beauty but only have tried a few of their products. I've been waiting for the right color lip lab trio to redeem and I thought this gorgeous plum shade was perfect. Bite is an all natural ingredient brand and I can appreciate a company that is thoughtful about their products. 

The final thing in my haul is a Bare Minerals First Class Fave Trio which was redeemed with my $25 purchase. I failed to mention previously that I'm a VIB Rogue which means I spent $350 in a calendar year so sometimes VIB and VIB Rogue members get special offers for free products and this Bare Minerals trio was one of them. It comes with a Lash Domination Mascara, a Lip Oil Balm, and a Mineral Veil Powder. Bare Minerals is another brand I really enjoy and have wanted to try more of and this was a great place to start. 

I haven't tried the lip oil balm or the mascara but the Mineral Veil is a great loose powder for setting my makeup and it really makes my makeup look even more put together.

Whew, that was a lot of makeup! I really like doing round up haul posts like this since I do so much shopping. Let me know if you'd like to see any more of these types of posts!

What was your last purchase(s) at Sephora? Tell me in the comments :) 


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Recent Beauty Hauls

in , , , , , , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
I've been trying to buy less and spend less money on make-up but it doesn't seem to be working. I've definitely cut back, but I still like to treat myself to something new every so often.

These items have been collected over the course of two months and I've been loving & using all of them religiously.

There's always new things at the drugstore, and obviously those are more affordable but I do love myself a good high end make-up splurge!




Here are some of the beauty items I've been LOVING lately.

 //Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation: I've been lusting after this drugstore foundation since it came out last year. It's definitely on the pricey side of the drugstore, rounding out anywhere from $10-$13. I finally splurged on it and it's been life changing. It's a very liquid, water like foundation that has medium-full(ish) coverage. I apply it with a Beauty Blender and it gives me the most beautiful demi matte, powder finish. It wears pretty well throughout the day and I've been wearing it almost everyday. It's well worth the price.


//Maybelline Lip Studio Color Blur: I have been obsessed with lip products lately and I cannot get enough. When I saw that Maybelline released a new line of matte lip colors, I went searching for them and couldn't find them for weeks at my local CVS or Duane Reade. I finally went to Rite Aid in my neighborhood and they had ALL the new beauty products. I picked up this one in "I Like to Mauve It" and love it! It's a little on the pinker side of mauve but it's a great "Kylie Jenner" type of color. It's really comfortable on the lips and the perfect everyday color.

 //Loreal Colour Riche Le Matte Lipcolour Stick: In the same breath, L'Oreal released their own line of matte lip colors. They also had ones called "Le Lacquer" and I may want to try those too. I got one in the shade "She's So Matte" and it's a little darker than the Maybelline one. Still, it's very comfortable and a little more matte than the Maybelline. Once again, a perfect every day color!



 //Too Faced Sole Mates Blushing Bronzer: These are $34 and 'limited edition' and were released around Valentine's Day. There's only two shades, named after two of the best TV couples ever "Carrie & Big" and "Rachel and Ross." I wasn't going to spend $34 on it so I never got it. That was, until I was in my local Nordstrom Rack and they had a whole bin full of both shades, for $8!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I picked up "Carrie & Big" immediately and haven't used another bronzer since. It's really hard to use the bronzer and blush separately, so I just take a kabuki brush and swirl them together for a luminous, bronzy glow. Ugh, I cannot get enough!





 //Too Faced Love Flush Blush in Love Hangover: When I saw that Too Faced was releasing new blushes, I knew I needed one. I didn't know when they were being released, until I woke up one morning and saw that they were up for grabs on Home Shopping Network. I immediately ordered it while I was walking to the train station (I have an addiction) and within a week, this adorable little blush was at my door. It's the perfect everyday, warm pink color that looks very natural on the cheeks. They are 16 hour blushes and honestly, they are very long wearing. They're smooth and perfect and I want more!





 //Becca Cosmetics + Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector: I watch a lot of Youtube videos, and love a lot of Youtube v-loggers. All of them talk about Becca's highlighters, and all of them love Jaclyn Hill. With good reason too, as she is one of the OG's of Youtube Beauty Blogging and she is funny, beautiful, down to earth, and relatable. I want to be her! Anyways, Becca & Jaclyn collaborated on a new highlighter called "Champagne Pop". It's $38 but I needed it because it's limited edition and I was in need of a new powder highlight. It was worth it because it's the most intense, beautiful highlight. I've been wearing it every day and I can't stop. You can build up the intensity as much as you want and it looks good on pretty much everyone. I'm obsessed and may never wear another highlight again.

What beauty products have you picked up lately? Tell me in the comments!


Shop my picks below!



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Ulta Haul | October 2014

in , , , , , , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
I have never been to an Ulta, never seen one in person but longed for the feeling of this beauty product heaven.

Too much of my surprise and delight, a brand new Ulta store opened up at a local shopping center near my house and I was busting at the seams to take a visit.

Well, this weekend, during NYC' rainy weather I trekked out and made that special visit. 

Oh.My.God.

I was so overwhelmed I almost left. I couldn't handle it. It also doesn't help that I went when I'm trying to save money. 

This Ulta was HUGE. I swear, I could've stayed all day. I should've taken photos but I was so overwhelmed and sweating profusely. 

There was the luxury side of the store, filled with Bare Minerals, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Benefit, and more. Then the drug store side with literally every drug store product imaginable (and for cheaper price). There were sections for skincare, hair accessories, and hair products. They even had  a hair salon and a Benefit Brow Bar. 

I was so excited I could've passed out but I went to Ulta with a list of things I wanted to get and couldn't stray from that. I couldn't spend a lot of money and even put a few thing down that I knew I didn't really need (even though I wanted desperately). I'll go back for them though! 


NYX was having 40% off so I knew I needed to get some products that have been on my wish list. I also wanted to try out the new Maybelline Tinted Brow Gel and buy some liquid foundation.

Good news is that all these products were fully in stock!


NYX HD Concealer Wand: I have heard rave reviews about this concealer and how it magically take away your dark circles. In my local drugstore and Target that carries NYX never had this concealer so I took advantage. I used this concealer as soon as I bought it, in pair with my new foundation, and oh my goodness, my skin looked flawless. I didn't look like myself at all, it was wonderful. The concealer has a normal, creamy, consistency and the color from the bottle onto my skin was true to form. It blended well with my beauty blender and was just a dream. This is hands down, my new favorite drug store concealer. 

Loreal True Match Foundation: Once again, I've heard rave reviews about this and it was on my Fall Beauty Wish List. I finally took the plunge and I'm delighted with the results. I got the shade "Natural Beige" and was totally overwhelmed by the number of shade choices. I hit the nail on the head though because Natural Beige is perfect for me. It's a very liquid consistency, something I was not expecting (I don't know why because it's a LIQUID foundation) but it blended out really well with my beauty blender. My skin looked flawless and I was so happy with it! This is a new holy grail product for me.

NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu: Butter gloss is heaven sent and I needed another one in my life. I wanted a darker color but once again, was so overwhelmed by all the shades, I couldn't think straight. I had seen this one floating around Youtube and beauty blogs everywhere so I thought I'd try it out. It's a perfect darker fall gloss with not too much color and feels like a dream on your lips.   

NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Ever: To go with all my fall lip shades, I needed a neutral colored lip liner. This was probably the first one I saw and decided it was closest to all my lip shades. I used it with my Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice and it blended perfectly! 

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara: This has been compared to Benefit's Gimme Brow Tinted Brow Gel so I needed to try it out. I love a good, clear brow gel but I've been meaning to experiment with tinted brow gels. After watching a few reviews, I knew I needed it. I used it with my Billion Dollar Brow Universal Brow Pencil and this was great for just filling in all the tiny spaces I couldn't hit with the pencil. It also is super strong and my brows didn't move an inch. Another holy grail beauty product added to the list.

I was in a rush while getting ready to go out so I didn't take any pictures of the products on my face but I will do an updated beauty routine with these products so you can see them in use :)



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Recent Beauty Hauls | September 2014

in , , , , , , , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
I've been mentioning over the past few weeks that I've bought a hefty amount of beauty products since graduating in May. I went on a bit of a spiral and got into a few fights with my mom about be spending money on frivolous beauty items.

Mind you, almost all of the products were purchased from the drugstore because there are definitely some hidden gems there.

I feel like I've been putting off this post for a while but with Fall coming in, I thought it would finally be a good time to buckle down and finally write this post. 

This isn't my entire beauty routine (that is pretty much the same from a few months ago) but a few of the products that I've purchased in the last few months and whether I like them or not.


Beauty Blender: This baby has been on my wish list for a good two years now. Beauty gurus and Vloggers everywhere swear by it and I felt like I was the only one missing out on it. I don't wear liquid foundation (I'm going to start though) so I never saw the need for it but then I saw someone on youtube use a Beauty Blender for concealer and my eyes were suddenly paying a lot closer attention. I tried using a dupe from Amazon a few years ago and it just wasn't the same. 

I was in Sephora last weekend, saw it, and knew I needed it. It was definitely an impulse purchase but I couldn't help it. I've been using it all week to apply my concealer and the difference is definitely there. It doesn't crease as easily, it creates a smoother surface and my under eyes look a lot brighter and better. This baby is golden.


Milani Lipsticks: I received a Milani Lipstick in "Best Red" in my Her Campus Her Conference goodie bag and was surprised at how smooth and pigmented it was. I never wore it because it's the summer and red lips are reserved (for me) for special Fall and Winter occasions. I was bored last week and decided to try it on to see what it was all about. My goodness! The red is so red and so smooth and moisturizing on your lips. It doesn't even really feel like lipstick. I usually stick to lip balms and stains but the Milani lipsticks have changed my life. I went out and bought a nude color in "Teddy Bare" which looks like a more brown, nude on your lips than nude-nude but it's the perfect Fall color. I'm OBSESSED.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer: I started seeing the trend of highlighting your under eye areas and figured that was something I should get into. I read some reviews and decided on my beloved Maybelline. I don't use this as much as I should because I was so tan this summer so it looked weird under my eyes. I also don't think this looked good as a regular concealer but better in addition to another, regular under eye concealer. Adding a little bit of this pink highlighter brightened up your under eye area and concealed dark circles. It's pretty great.

Covergirl + Olay Eye Rehab Concealer: I was really desperate for a new concealer at the beginning of the summer and just randomly picked this up because it was specifically made for the under-eye area AND it was color correcting. I'm pretty sure that's the kind of concealer I need. Once again, I got too tan this summer to use it a lot but now that I'm a little paler, I've been using it and it's pretty great stuff. I definitely need to utilize it more but from what I see, it does a great job at covering my under eye circles. As for the actual color correcting, I haven't seen too big of a difference but we'll see.

There are some beauty products that I've been loving but which I already reviewed. See them here, here, and here.


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Forgotten MakeUp Products

in , , , , , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
A few weeks ago on a lonely Friday night, I decided to eat candy, watch Girl Meets World and go through my make-up bag. I had purchased a bunch of new makeup recently and needed to get organized. I knew there was a bunch of old stuff, rotting away in my multiple make-up bags and I needed to get rid of them.

On my organizational journey, I realized there was a lot of makeup hiding away that I had completely forgotten about. 

Some of the makeup were products that I had loved before but had replaced for something new and shiny while others were products that I wasn't so crazy about to begin with.

I decided to put all these "forgotten" makeup items and try to use them more and possibly write a blog post about them. 

While I haven't used them enough over the past few weeks because I'm a creature of habit, I have been picking them up a little bit during my routine.


From bronzer to blush to lipgloss, these are makeup items that I hope I don't forget too much in the future.



ELF Bronzer and Blush: I blogged about these back in December, tried them out and them completely forgot about them. I didn't like the way they looked or felt on my skin, they just weren't what I expected. I did though pick up the blush again this week, blended it out a little more than usual and it gave me a nice, natural glow.

I haven't tried out the bronzer quad again because I've been more into matte bronzers and this one is full of shimmer. When I swatched these bronzers, I was pleasantly surprised at the softness (a lot softer than I remember) and I know that I will be using these soon.

(Blush: Giddy Gold; Bronzer: Golden Bronzer)



Stila One Step Bronze: This I blogged about way back in 2012, right when I reached my first Birchbox. I haven't completely forgotten about this bad boy but I know I don't use it as nearly as much as I should. It's the perfect mousse, liquid bronzer (the only one I ever truly used and loved) with the perfect amount of shimmer. It's easily applied with a brush or your hands and gives you that vacation glow. I use this for only special nights out and it gives me such a dewy look, I can't help but fall in love every time I wear it. 


Urban Decay Freakshow Eyeshadow: My roommate freshmen year got this for me for my birthday and I used to use it a ton. Then my love affair with eyeshadow didn't last and I was afraid of bold colors. I'm slowly getting back into using eyeshadow everyday and this purple color is unlike anything I have. It's said that purple is the best color for brown eyes so I'm definitely going to need to experiment with this baby a little more.


Almay Intense I Color in Purple Amethyst: Sticking with the purple theme, this eyeliner is a few years old and I used to wear it religiously. Almay is one of my favorite brands to buy regular, everyday eyeliner from because it's so creamy, soft but not too intense that it looks like you're going to the club. I have a heavy hand when applying eyeliner so a softer formula is good for me. When swatching, the eyeliner is definitely a little dried out out but maybe that means I'll just go buy a new one! 



Cailyn Gel Eyeliner in Purple: Oh goodness, another purple product?! I used this eyeliner maybe five times since I got it in an Ipsy bag last year. I love the intense, gel purple color but using it is a pain in my butt because I don't like gel potted eyeliners. When I'm looking for an intense, sleek purple on a night out, I need to remember I have this because it is a really great eyeliner.

There are some other products like an Elizabeth Arden lip-glosso or a NYX eyeshadow that are really great quality and I need to just remember to utilize more.


What are your "forgotten" make-up products? Tell me in the comments and share :)


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ELF Makeup Haul | January 2014

in , , , , , , by RoyallyPink, 7:30 AM
The day after Christmas, I was online (as usual) and I stumbled upon a blog post by a blogger that reviewed a bunch of ELF makeup. Now, if you don't know, ELF (eyes.lips.face) is a make-up brand that sells their products for an insanely cheap price. I mean, you could get eyeshadow for $1. 

That definitely throws some people off because they believe that the make-up is cheap and poorly made. I remember when I was younger, I had some ELF products and they were not the best. A few years ago, I bought some other products and they were definitely much better. I found some make-up that I really liked.

Now, after reading this blog post (For the life of me, I can't remember which blogger it was), it came to seem that ELF went through another turn around and redid their formulas, products, packaging, etc.

I was busting to spend some gift-cards I had so I found myself on the ELF website and to my pleasure there was a 50% off sale. As if prices couldn't get cheap enough, I was going to buy make-up for $.50. I was way too excited.

My mother didn't think I needed any more make-up and I honestly didn't but I really just wanted to spend my Visa gift-card and to see how the make-up held up.

I only spent $25 and bought so much stuff. I was shocked at how much I got for such a little price but I wasn't complaining. Because of the holidays and the snowstorm in New York, it took about two weeks for my package to arrive but when it did, it was worth the wait.

My entire order 

Lip Exfoliator: This is a product that a lot of people have been raving about. It's an exfoliator for your lips. It's like a lip scrub in lipstick form. It really does keep your lips soft and helps with chapping. I wear it at night before I go to sleep and the next morning, my lips feel extremely fresh.


HD Lifting Concealer:  I've been desperate for a new, heavy duty concealer. My Erase Paste is running out and I don't want to shell out another $24 for a new one. This concealer is very paste like and heavy but not in a bad way. It really covers up my dark circles but doesn't feel heavy or sticky on my face. It's wonderful.


Matte Lip Color Pencil: I've been busting for a NARS matte lip pencil but can't bring myself to spend over $20 on one. This is the next best thing. The color I chose is 'Praline' and it's a dark, reddish color. It's durable and stays on for hours and it's also very smooth and soothing. I'm definitely going to be buying more of these when need be. 



Golden Brozners: This is a set of four shimmery bronzers and I'm indifferent about it. I used it once so far but it was a little too shimmery for me. I'm going to try it again when a shimmer look is more appropriate but even if I didn't like the way it showed up on my face, they were still good quality bronzers.



Studio Blush in Giddy Gold: Blush is something I've recently gotten into and other than my NARS Orgasm, I rarely change blush colors. I thought I'd change it up and get a neutral colored blush. Being honest, it's not my favorite because it doesn't really show up that well on my face but I want a neutral blush to work so I'm going to try it again. 


Corrective Concealer Palette: This is the product I was most excited for. I've been seeing everywhere that different colored concealers are great for covering up redness, dark circles and other problems that come with skin. I haven't used this yet because I want to research which colors help with what problems so I'll definitely be doing another post on that later. 

Brushes: I ordered a face brush, a smudge eyeshadow brush, a eyebrow/lash brush, and a Kabuki brush. The Kabuki brush is my favorite; the way it applies bronzer to my face is incredible and I regret not buying one sooner. The other brushes are standard and pretty great quality. 



Waterproof Eyeliner Pen: I have this eyeliner in black but it's running out. ELF was sold out of black so this ash/grey color was the next best thing. I'm obsessed with it and it's one of the best eyeliners ever. The slim, felt tip makes application quick and easy. 

Eye Refresh: The last product of this large haul! The eye refresh helps your under eye area and allows you to look more awake. I apply it first thing in the morning before I put moisturizer or any sort of make-up on. I have to pay more attention to if it really helps but I think it does.

All in all, I really liked all my ELF beauty products. Even with a crazy cheap price, it's wonderful quality and I will be buying a lot more make-up from them.

Have you ever used ELF? What are your thoughts?



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