April Birchbox

 This month’s Birchbox came “on time” (they are usually supposed to arrive around the 10^th and even 

though mine was shipped around the 4^th, it came yesterday)

Yogini perfume

I was expecting this perfume to smell of something relaxing and centering. Maybe even cleansing? Eucalyptus? But this actually reminds me of the scents children’s perfumes have… you know, the ones that come in Snoopy bottles and Barbie heads.

Juice Beauty oil-free Moisturizer

I’ve yet to try the moisturizer but I appreciate the oil-free formula and I'm sure my skin will as well as it gets oilier as the weather gets hotter.
the back of the little bottle (.17 fl OZ) says “AHHHHHHH”

Zoya Spring Polish

This is in the shade Bevin and holds .25 fl OZ. Even though I’ve been meaning to try Zoya polishes, I’ve never actually seen any sold in stores (any of you know where I can find them?).

This is such a lovely gray jade color...  It reminds me of a Jade bracelet my aunt wears  on her wrist. The memory, I think, is what makes this color so comforting..
It’s also really great polish with an amazing opaque-in-two-coats formula that doesn’t pool around the edges or require finger clean-up.

 
Erno Laszlo Facial Soap
Madonna and Audrey Hepburn allegedly used this soap.

Yes to Blueberries Cleansing facial towelettes

I’m not a fan of makeup wipes

Even on nights when all I want to do is ditch my shoes and collapse into bed..
having a bathroom connected to my bedroom makes me feel like a lazy bum if I go to bed with a face full of makeup and a day’s toxins.

I’ve owned the Neutrogena ones that come in the blue packaging and wasn’t impressed but I’m willing to give these a go.

 

Fun Fact: the Yes to Carrots spf something Moisturizer was the first moisturizer I ever used. 

I saw a tidbit about it years ago somewhere inside a Seventeen magazine and then spotted it on the Beauty shelves at Target.
Repurchased this baby twice before I switched over to Clinique, then Vanishing Cream.

Makeup haul

 I did a little shopping..
My birthday is at the end of the month so I decided to treat myself to a couple goodies (and take advantage of Chic week and Ulta discounts)

 By the time I got to the MAC store in my area this was pretty much the only things left from the new collections.  The only thing I wanted that wasn't there was Superb (I didn't catch Estee Lauder's version) so I'll still be on the lookout for that. I think I have enough to keep me busy in the meantime.

- MSF Lightscapade

I cannot stress the beauty of this powder. I'll include a picture further down

- Blush in Modern Mandarin (Satin)

- Blush in Lovecloud (Satin but feels more on the matte side)

- Dynamic Duo 3 

- Lipstick in Freckletone (Lustre - not from new collections)

If you're having trouble pulling off the "nude lip" look, try a Lustre finish. They're on the sheer side so they'll let some of your natural lip color show through (so you're not completely washed out) and are more forgiving than mattes on dry spots.

 - Illamasqua Creme blush in Rude
I've never tried their creme blushes before but I adore their powder ones. And this color looked amazingly fresh swatched onto my hand.

- Revlon CustomEyes 020
The dark brown color is what I use on my brows daily. I haven't been able to find a replacement that matched the shade and texture so I'm repurchasing it.

- MUFE blush #18
I was assured by the makeup assistant that this shade is safe for use on the eyes.
Ever since Lisa Eldridge did her Biba makeup look I've been dreaming of experimenting with orange shadow.

 - Eylure Lashes by Katy Perry (I looked all over the package to find some sort of naming system... no luck. "Yellow box" is the best I can do.)
I had no idea Katy Perry was coming out with lashes! This was a pleasant surprise.
I'm not an expert with falsies but I've already tried (as in tried to wear) these once. The band (where the lash groups are attached) feels very flimsy. At first I thought this was a good thing; flexibility = ease of use?. I guess too much flexibility = disaster. It took me a little while (longer than it takes me to put on Ardell lashes) to get these on properly (the glue they come with is rubbish by the way). They were originally too long for my eyes and even after cutting off the excess the band kept lifting itself up in the inner corner.
I'll try these again when I get more patience.
You can find them at Ultas.

- Boscia blotting linens
The lavender ones are on sale at Ulta for $5!
I normally use the green tea ones ($10) but hey, let's try something new.

- NARS Sheer Matte foundation - Syracuse
After about a month of scraping this out of the generous Nordstrom's sample jar I gave in. Even though I have combo/oily skin I was a little weary of the "matte" label NARS gave this foundation. It's a bit misleading though.. Once you read into it you mind that it's more of a natural matte finish. It's not flat at all and it'll give you sheer/medium coverage .

ps. did you know you can now get foundation pumps at NARS??


-Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer (medium to tan)
I had this last summer.
It's a tad too orange for me at the moment but it worked so well last year that I've decided to repurchase.

I had to include a close-up of this.
For some reason it reminds of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel.
Heavenly
Take a moment to stare into its swirls. Allow yourself to get lost in it.