Beauty Haul

 Hi, everyone! How was your weekend? The last few days have been crazy and stressful for us. My husband was in a car accident on Thursday and his truck was totaled. Thankfully my husband is alright aside from some bruising and soreness. I'm so glad it wasn't worse!

On to better news, here are the new products I'm trying out!

Nars Pleasure Seeker Afterglow Lip Balm Set

I've been really into lip glosses and lip balms over lipstick lately. I saw this holiday set and wanted to give it a try. They feel comfortable on my lips, but they aren't at all hydrating.

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

I have heard good things about this product, so when I saw it as a 100 point perk on Sephora's website I added it to my cart. I LOVE this! My hair looks and feels incredible after I use this. I've already purchased a full size bottle of this product...it's also in this beauty haul. lol

Dior Backstage Foundation sample in shade 1N

This shade matches my skin perfectly. It feels nice on my skin and doesn't look thick or cakey. I've only worn it once, and I plan on wearing it at least a few more times before I decide if I want to purchase this. So far though, this is really nice and I like how it looked on me.

Natasha Denona Sunrise Palette

This was half off on Sephora's website, and I've been DYING to purchase a Natasha Denona palette. I bit the bullet and just purchased this one. The shade range is beautiful and there's a good mix of shimmer and matte shades. The mirror is large and the hard plastic case feels sturdy.

First Aid Beauty Your Future Looks Fab Set

I love these FAB holiday sets! They are always an amazing deal, and I genuinely love this brand. I didn't NEED anymore skincare items, but I simply can't resist these sets.

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

As you saw earlier in this post, I tried out a sample size of this product and loved it so much that a purchased a full size of it. It's really spendy for the amount that you get, but the results I get from using this product is worth it to me.

Dior Diorshow Mascara

I've used up this mascara once before and really liked how it makes my lashes look. When I saw it as a free sample on Sephora's website, I had to add it to my cart. I just wish this wasn't so heavily scented.

NARS Afterglow Lip Shine in Orgasm

This was sent to me free from BzzAgent for review. The formula is very thin and not sticky at all. The shade is very, very light. It almost looks clear on my lips with a sprinkle of sparkles.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Matte Lipstick in Dare to Rouge

This was also sent to me from BzzAgent for review. The shade is darker and more orange than I thought it was going to be, but it isn't an awful color. I normally steer clear of orange shades because I don't think they look good with my complexion, but this shade is one I may actually wear on occasion. It's very opaque, so one application is more than enough. It is a matte shade so the formula is a bit dry, but not uncomfortably so.

 

Aveeno The Favorites Collection Gift Set

Please ignore the fact that this box is absolutely mangled. My 2 year old got to it. lol This was part of a Christmas gift. I've been using Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion for a long time, but I haven't tried much else from this brand. I'm excited to give these other two products a try.

 

 

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Flexitarian

 

This is a stunning cream highlight! I'm so happy I finally decided to pick it up.

 

Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Lotion

I love this hand lotion. I repurchase this all the time.

MAC Viva Glam x Keith Haring Lipstick in Red Haring

I thought the packaging on this was really cute, and you all know how much I love a red lipstick, so I just had to have this.

The Nubian Palette by Juvia's Place

I've been wanting to try out more products from Juvia's Place and I've heard amazing things about this palette. This palette is so nice! The shades are beautiful and they blend out so nicely.

 

Free makeup bag with samples

This was free from Ulta with $70+ purchase. There's a TON of samples in here!

 

DPHue Color Fresh Dry Texture Spray

I received this free from BzzAgent for review. I don't like this. It smells okay, but it leaves a crunchy, sticky residue in my hair that I am not at all a fan of. I'm pretty sure this is clear. I have dark roots right now and I didn't notice any white in my hair. That's the only thing I like about this product though.

 

 

ACO Skincare

 

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for review. I was given four products to try out: Renewing Daily Cleanser, Rescue Mist, Perfecting Serum, and Purifying Day Cream. I've never heard of this brand before but I'm always up for trying new products. I'll leave a review here on my blog after I've used them for a while.

 

 

Paul Mitchell The Conditioner

 

I bought this because I'm an idiot. lol! I ran out of conditioner and wanted to try out a "better" brand (I've been using drugstore brands for forever), so I grabbed this thinking it was a regular conditioner. It's not. It's a leave in conditioner. Haha! It's alright though, I'll use it. I ended up ordering the Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner from the brand Verb instead. I tried out a sample of them and I really liked them.

 

 Givenchy Le Rouge Deep Velvet Lunar New Year Edition Lipstick in 37 Rouge

I love the lunar new year packaging on this lipstick! Also, it's red, so you know I had to have it.

 

 That's everything for now! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

 

Influenster Givenchy Beauty Voxbox Product Review

Hello, everyone!  How was your weekend?

I received the new Givenchy Noir Interdit mascara from Influenster to review for you.  This mascara retails for $29.00 and has 0.31 oz of product.  There's only one shade available and it's called Deep Black.  This mascara will be available soon and you can find more information on the Sephora website here.

There's a strong floral fragrance to this mascara that doesn't quite go away.  I catch whiffs of it every now and then while wearing it throughout the day.  The packaging is high quality, but the square shape makes it a bit uncomfortable to hold.  The 90 degree wand is new and unique, but not at all necessary.  Bending the wand helps me to reach my very outer lashes, but for the rest of my lashes I prefer to use it the traditional way.  The brush has a plastic applicator with bristles only on one side.  Personally, I prefer fiber brushes to plastic ones.

The end result gives me plenty of length, but not as much volume as I'd like with one coat.  You can build this mascara up for more volume, but I have other mascaras that give me the volume I want with only one coat.  I like that it's pitch black and doesn't clump, flake, or transfer on me.  It has a lightweight formula that doesn't weigh down your lashes.  (After picture was taken a few hours after applying one coat of mascara - my camera battery died right before I could take a picture immediately after applying it.)

Final thoughts: I really like the formula of this mascara.  It's lightweight and doesn't flake or transfer.  The wand is a bit gimmicky though.  If you want to use the wand traditionally, there are only bristles on one side of the wand which I find a bit annoying.  Honestly, if you have the budget and just want to try something different, give this one a go.  However, if you're saving up for one high end mascara that gives you effortless volume, I recommend the YSL Effet Faux Cils for just a few dollars more. ;)

What are your thoughts on this mascara?  Would you try this?

I hope this was helpful!  Thanks for stopping by!

*I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.*