Monthly Makeup Edit: September 2015

Hello pretty people!
   So this is my first monthly makeup post, and I'm excited about this! I'm not a really big fan of monthly favorites, mainly because I switch up my look so often and it's hard to stay dedicated to products throughout an entire month. However, usually during the month, I find certain products that make up my routine. So throughout the month of September I've kept my routine pretty simple, with a slightly shimmery eye and glossy lip with an overall glowing base.

Face:

Dr.Young Anti Pore Balm and Maybelline Better Skin Foundation:
    While I love a good dewy face, because I have combination skin, I need some pore care on my T-Zone. This primer does a really good job of filling in my pores, and it leave the classic silicone feeling to your skin. Not only does it make your skin look good, but it does good with helpful herb extracts.
    As you can tell from the picture, I've been using this foundation like crazy over the summer. While it doesn't provide the greatest oil control or long lasting properties, it does a really good job of leaving a nice and natural finish to my skin, really enhancing the glow and perfecting it. While I didn't notice any skin difference with using this foundation, I do really like how it looks on my skin.

Eyes:

Tarte Golden Days and Sultry Nights Palette/ Physicians Formula Organic Wear BB Mascara/ Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Shadow Primer/ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt/ Starlooks Pro Longwear Eye Liner

    I've been using the Rimmel Eye primer as my base since I bought it. It has a really nice silicone feeling similar to the Urban Decay Primer Potion, with a white and shimmery base that really helps eye shadows pop, and it's waterproof!
     After applying primer, I go in with the Yogurt on a firm eye shadow brush and use it as my base color. It gives a nice rose gold wash. In my crease I take a matte brown from the Tarte palette called Espadrilles with a fluffy brush.
    To create a nice and thin line, I've used the Starlooks Pro Longwear Liner which provides me with a really steady hand, so I apply the color evenly. On my lashes, I'm addicted to how the BB mascara makes them look and feel. It has coconut oil in it, so it really nourishes my eyelashes.

Lips:

Shara Shara Acerola Moist Oil Balm
    My lip has been pretty boring this month, but I haven't been interested in coloring, but really nourishing, so that's what I've been about. This provides a really moisturized lip and adds a nice gloss too, so it looks a lot more put together than just a regular balm.

    That's my makeup roundup! I hope that you all enjoyed a look at my makeup routine this month. If you have any questions, comments, requests, or recommendations leave them for me in the comments, and I'll see you next time!
Grace
   

Ipsy Glam Bag Review: September Edition 2015

Hello pretty people!
     We have hit that time of the month again when we all receive our ipsy bags. For $10 each month, you receive 5 products and a cosmetics bag. The way it equals out, you paying around $2 for each product. That's a pretty sweet deal. I've been subscribed to other beauty services before, but I think Ipsy is my favorite of them all, the main reason being that they give you good sized products! The info aside, let's jump into the bag:

     Ipsy finally has given us a synapses on the card that comes with every bag. This month is all about transitioning into deeper, richer tones with fall approaching. I am a big fan of transitional makeup, so this was a perfect bag for me this month. I love me some copper tones and that's exactly what I got with this ipsy. Also really quick, all the product descriptions are from Ipsy!

1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

     Ultra Repair Cream is a head-to-toe moisturizer that provides instant hydration for dry, itchy skin. This quick-absorbing moisturizer is recommended for anyone with dry skin. With the help of colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, soothing eucalyptus oil, and ceramides, its luxurious, ultra-hydrating formula provides immediate relief and visible improvement for distressed skin.

• Can be used all over the body-elbows, feet, hands and face
• Alleviates dry skin and minor skin irritations
• Hydrates and moisturizes skin

2. Octavio Aceite de Argan 

    This argan oil gives your hair a silky smooth shine – full of antioxidants and Vitamin E. It also naturally protects your locks from UV rays and fights against frizz!

3. City Color Cosmetics City Chic Lipstick in Je T'aime

     Your lips are bound to make a statement with City Color’s signature City Chic lipstick. This ultra-creamy formula gives your lips long-lasting color and luscious shine. These buttery lipsticks are ideal for any classic City Chic look.

• Intense, bold pigmentation
• Ultra creamy formula
• Paraben free

4. Elizabeth Mott Queen of the Fill Tinted Brow Gel

      Give your brows the royal treatment! Queen of the Fill comes in 2 long-lasting and easy-to-use colors that fill in sparse hairs. Not only does it naturally define, sculpt, and groom your brows, but it’s also buildable. Go from untamed to polished brows in seconds. The tapered brush is perfect for quick, effortless application. Just remember: let the gel completely dry and you’re ready to go!

5. NYX Cosmetics Ipsy Eye Shadow Trio

This 3-color eye shadow palette gives you go-anywhere intensity day or night thanks to the highly pigmented formulations. Provides intense eye colors with a silky texture for seamless application for any eye look that you desire. It consists of 3 complementing eye shadows to wear together or alone.

• Each eye shadow provides great color payoff with every application.

• Create any look on the go with the help of the dual applicator that allows you to apply, smudge and line your eyes effortlessly.

• Exclusive palette designed by NYX just for ipsters!

    So that's my ipsy bag this month! Share what you got with me in the comments below as well as any thoughts, questions, requests, or recommendations  as well. Also, if you've followed my blog for awhile, you'll notice that it looks a little different. That's right, we got a makeover! I wanted something that had a more professional feel, so I hope you like the new vibe I got going on. Until next time!

Grace

                                                  →EMAIL ME @←

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How Much Does My Face Cost Tag

Hello pretty people!

     So I was scrolling through a list o f blogging prompts and spotted this one among the slew. Basically the idea is that you add up the total cost of products you are currently wearing on your face. It was really quite shocking how much money I spend on makeup; even the drugstore products begin tallying up after awhile. So that being said, I would like to add a little disclaimer: I'm a makeup hoarder and some of these products I've had for a few years now (I know, I know expiration dates, but it so hard to part with some items!), and I've been adding to my collection, practically since I started wearing makeup. Recently I purged myself of a lot of products that I felt I no longer wanted/needed and gave them to my sister, who doesn't really wear a ton of makeup. While the total get's pretty high, I would like to say that I purchased majority of my products myself, some of them i got from gift cards, etc. I realize that many people are less fortunate then I am, and am in no way saying that everyone needs as much makeup as I have. Also, the prices are all in US dollars.  I think I have all the bases covered so let's just start on the list shall we?

Face:
Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Essence Primer: $12.40
Maybelline Better Skin Foundation: $9.98
Yes To Tomatoes Corrective Concealer: $9.99
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer: $7.99
Tarte Park Avenue Princess Sample: n.d.
Physicians Formula Mineral Loose Airbrushing Loose Powder: $13.99

Eyes:
Etude House Perfect Brow Kit: $11.70
Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Eyeshadow Primer: $4.50
M.A.C Velvet Eyeshadow in Vanilla: $16.00
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt: $4.50
L'Oreal Cupa Joe Quad: $5.99
Memebox I'm Eyeliner in Night: $5.00
Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Cocoa: $12.00
Starlooks Pro  Luxe Longwear Liner: $19.00
Physicians Formula Organic Wear BB Mascara: 8.79
Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer: $7.80

Lips:
Shara Shara Acerola Moist Oil Balm: $10.27

Grand Total: $159.90

     Ew.......... Well now that we have that out in the open, I think I can come to terms with it. I have seen some of the posts with a grand total of over $500 dollars! That's truly insane in my mind, like how do you use that much product? But then again, I'm over here applying 2 different mascaras and 3 eyeliners. I hope that you all enjoyed this though, because it definitely wasn't that fun for me to accept. I tag all of you to do this post as well, it's very eye opening and can draw attention to the fact that we spend so much money on makeup. If you have any questions, comments, requests, or recommendations, leave it for me in the comment section. Although one thing I will say though, is that I definitely want to lay off buying more makeup for a little while. I'll talk to you all next time, until then,

Grace

→EMAIL ME @←✉BUSINESS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE!✉graceashipley@gmail.com

Fall Nail Polish Edit

Hello pretty people!

    With cooler weather comes a new selection of nail polish colors to help usher in the autumn spirit. I find that I gravitate towards the browns and purples during the fall months, so I rounded up the winners into one post.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Dress Me Up-

    Unfortunately this nail polish was apart of the limited edition Hunger Games nail polish collection. Although you can still find it on Amazon, it's no longer available in stores. But it is a gorgeous creamy dusty rose shade that works as a great transition color.

OPI Warm and Fozzie-

    Another limited edition nail polish apart of OPI's Muppet's collection that came out in 2011 (wow was that really 4 years ago?! I feel old now). Warm and Fozzie is a really fun duo-chrome bronze that has gold and fuchsia shimmers in it.

Ulta Nail Polish in Chocolate Kiss-

     A discontinued nail polish, but I had to add it because it's still very pretty. It's a coller toner chocolate brown with a reddish hue, giving it a chocolate covered raspberry vibe with tiny tiny silver microshimmers.

Aila Mister Pookies-

    Finally something y'all can get your hands on! This nail polish is a really pretty and creamy steel gray with purple undertones.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Agro-

    Another nail polish in the Hunger Games collection is Agro, which is one of my favorites by far! It's a gorgeous multi faceted military green that has such a pretty shimmer to it, it almost looks like it's glowing.

Maybelline Color Show Vintage Violet-

    While it's not in stores, it is available on Amazon. This is a really pretty deep matte burgundy that has purple glitter chunks in it to give it a little somethin'-somethin'. You can also add a glossy topcoat to make it not matte.

    As always, I hope you all enjoyed this post! If you did be sure to leave me any questions, comments, requests, or recommendations in the comments below. Love y'all!
Grace

→EMAIL ME @←
✉BUSINESS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE!✉graceashipley@gmail.com

D.I.Y Pumpkin Spice Latte Body Scrub

Hello pretty people!
    Tis the season for donning your favorite pair of combat boots, lighting a B&BW candle. and going to Starbucks to order the cult classic Pumpkin Spice Latte. I love a good cup of coffee, but not only does coffee give you energy, having a coffee based body scrub will energize your skin. Coffee grinds help to give an added glow to your skin and helps with stretch marks, and perks up areas that may need a little bit of tightening. How does it do this? Caffeine, the most magical substance on earth. So today I decided to share with you all one of my absolutely favorite body scrubs during the fall season, inspired by the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

What you'll need:
Used Coffee Grounds (the amount will vary depending how much coffee you drink. Mine usually is about 3-4 heaping tablespoons)
1 TBSP Cinnamon
1/2 TBSP Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (optional)
1 1/2 Cup of White Sugar
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
A Clean, airtight container

Directions:

1. First of all, brew yourself a cup of coffee. The grounds need to soften with the hot water to be gentler on the skin. Once done, dump the grounds into a clean container.

2. Add in the spices and mix everything together (optional: you can totally add some vanilla to this).

3. Add in 1/2 cup of white sugar and mix everything together.

4. Add in 1/4 cup of Olive Oil and mix everything together.

5. Pour in the rest of the sugar and mix together.

6. Depending on how you like your scrubs (either more liquid feeling or grainy), add as much Olive Oil you prefer to create your ideal texture. I like a good mixture of both the liquid and grainy feeling so I added the rest of the Olive Oil.

7. Mix everything together until the overall color is the same. Seal the container with it's lid,  and place in your shower.

 
    That's it folks! It's pretty darn easy to create this body scrub. It leaves your skin feeling oh so smooth, and your bathroom will smell just like a Starbucks. I hope you all enjoyed this post, if you did leave me any comments, questions, requests, or recommendations in the comment section below and I'll get back to you ASAP. Love ya'll so much!
Grace

5 Things: End of The Week Favorites #9

Hello pretty people!
    So today has really made me embrace sweater weather. It's pretty cold out at only 52 Fahrenheit, and it has really been making me crave a good pumpkin spice latte, and all I want to do is curl up with a book and sleep all day. Alas, since that's not possible, I'm just going to relax and share a few things that I've been liking this week.

Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Essence Primer-
    With the weather getting trickier to meander around for my skin, I've been attempting to provide my skin with moisture, but not too to the extent where my skin feels too heavy. This primer by Etude House is a really good combination of pore care whilst still pampering my skin underneath my base products.

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer-
    With the school year back into full swing, I'm left with very little amounts of sleep. Like, maybe 5-6 hours every night. That being said, I've been needing a pick-me-up concealer, and this does a really great job with my under eye circles. I also use it on spots, and it does a fantastic job of concealing and treating at the same time.

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer-
    This little sucker is amazing at making my eye shadows last all day long. I've been having really long days, so the fact that even when I get home, my eye shadows are still in place, is kind of incredible. This primer is waterproof so it's fantastic at lasting on even the oiliest of eyelids and has a similar texture to the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Celestial Seasonings Authentic Green Tea-
   For the past week, I've had a little head cold. It kinda sucks because it makes me really foggy in the head most days, and my nose gets all clogged up (sorry, TMI). But nothing makes me feel better when I'm sick, then a nice warm cup of green tea. So I've been chugging a cup of this green tea before bed every night, and I do believe that it helps a little bit.

Song of the Week:
Kick The Dust Up- Luke Bryan


    That's it for this week everyone! Sorry it's not more interesting, but seeings how I had a cold, I wasn't much of an experimenter this week. Hopefully I'll have a lot of new and more exciting goodies to share at the end of next week. As always if you have any questions, comments, requests, or recommendations, leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you ASAP. Love ya'll,
Grace

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation and Concealer Review

Hello pretty people!
    So I know I've been a little missing in action, but I caught a cold during the middle of the week and haven't been feeling up to blogging. However, I feel a million times better today and felt that a blog post needed to be had. So I'm now dutifully sipping on my coffee and typing up a post for you! Earlier in the summer months, Maybelline came out with a new foundation and concealer line called Better Skin.
     I'm not much of a foundation girl. I always felt like it was too heavy and didn't let my skin breathe enough, so I usually steered clear of them. I also had idea in my head that it would clog my pores and make me breakout. But, I have since changed my thinking. I now believe that certain foundations can lead to breakouts, but that definitely isn't the case with this one.
    As for concealers, I'm a big fan of liquid ones. I like how pliable they can be and they don't tug on the skin like some stick concealers do. I only recently picked up the concealer to match, and I've only used it a few times, nut I'm already impressed. So without any further jabbering, let's jump into these products.

Better Skin Foundation-

Product Description*:
    Longwear foundation that improves skin's appearance every minute you wear it. With the antioxidant power of Actyl-C , a more durable form of vitamin c. For all skin types. Medium to full coverage.
Why you'll love it: 
Superstay Better Skin Foundation gives an all day  flawless coverage and better looking skin in three weeks. The foundation reduces the appearance of spots, dullness, uneveness and gives you a brighter, more even and stress free skin.

My Thoughts:
    This is possibly the only foundation that I've ever loved. I'm super picky about what I put on my face; like to the point of paranoia about whether a product is going to break me out or not. So when I first started using this, I was highly skeptical, but after using it for 3 months, I can say with confidence that this is an amazing product! My skin literally loves this stuff and it doesn't feel heavy or cakey at all! I like to apply this with my beauty sponge from Real Techniques, as it gives a lighter and more natural finish to this foundation. Definitely recommend this for all skin types and especially for students. It's a long lasting formula that you won't have to touch up on throughout the day, and it pampers your skin during the process. What more could a girl want?

Better Skin Concealer-

Product Description*:
     Superstay Better Skin Concealer is a two in one target concealer and corrector with Actyl-C, an ingredient known for it's antioxidant benefits.
Why you'll love it:
     Superstay Better Skin concealer instantly provides all day flawless correction. Visibly reduces the appearance of spots, dark circles and imperfections in just 3 weeks.

My Thoughts:
    Basically this is a more potent version of the foundation. Higher coverage that blends out seamlessly into the skin, and sets nicely without budging. While this product is on the newer side for me, I'm already impressed with the coverage and how it wears on the skin. It doesn't look cakey and I'm excited to test out how this baby will treat my dark circles.


     That's all for today! I'm going to try super hard to get more posts up this week :) Don't forget to leave me any questions, comments, requests, or thoughts in the comment down below, and I'll talk to ya'll next time. Kisses,
Grace

The Purge: Cleaning Out My Makeup Collection

Hello pretty people!
    So the other night after a mass study cram session, I felt the urge to clean out my makeup collection. There are so many products that I either only used occasionally or used once, and I figured they were just taking up space. Also I'm trying to curb my makeup buying habits in an attempt to save money. I got rid of a TON of makeup! I let my sister look through it before pitching anything else that she didn't want. Wanna see what I ditched?

Nars Hungry Heart (not in picture/ Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden / Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded/ Etude House Tear Drop Eye Liner/ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Pure Gold and Strawberry Milk/ Covergirl Lashblast Luxe/ Max Factor Vivid Impact Mascara/ Covergirl Natureluxe Mascara

Almay Intense Eyes Shadow in Satin-I and Bold Nudes/ Too Faced Glamour to Go Fairy Edition / Maybelline Blowout Bronze/ Depoted Maybelline Eyeshadow in Bare Minerals container/ Grace My Face Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadows

NYX Diamond Sparkle Lipstick in Dusty Rose/ Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Petal/ Revlon Colorburst Lipbutter's in Tutti Fruitti and Cupcake/ Clinique Dramatically Different Lipstick in Precious Pink/ NYX Round Case Lipsticks in Margarita and Sash/ Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Pink Beach

ELF Lipgloss/ Stila Peaches and Cream/ Nature Republic Rose Lipgloss in Peach Rose/ Ulta Brilliant Color Lipgloss in Chocolate/ Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Victorian/ Aritaum Wannabe Lip Cushion Tint in Sugar

    That rounds up my purge! Wow, I thought I was going to feel remorseful about getting rid of so many things, but lately, I've felt pressed to not take for granted all that I do have. And honestly, if I'm not using it, I shouldn't keep it, and I don't want to end up being a hoarder. So I hope that you enjoyed this post! Don't forget to comment down below any questions, comments, or requests. Also please follow me on Bloglovin, to keep up with all of my posts :) Love ya'll so much!
Grace