Summer 2016 Empties

Hey friends! As a fair warning, today's video is a long one. So go grab yourself a snack, maybe a cup of tea, and get cozy, cause you're gonna be here for a while. It's been three months since my last empties post and I've got a giant bin full of beauty trash to share. If you're relatively new to the beauty blogging scene, you may be giving me a strange look right now. Girl, why the heck are you hoarding a bunch of empty bottles and packages? And the reason is not because I've got some kind of strange obsession with beautiful packaging (although let's be serious, those are the hardest products to chuck). Anything I've completely used up is something I'm sure to have a pretty solid opinion on, and I want to let you guys know whether or not I thought it was repurchase worthy, or if I think there are better options out there to recommend.

Sound like a good time? Beautiful.

One Year Z-Palette Update

Oh, the Z-Palette. I have to admit, I didn't realize how fun (and addicting) putting one of these together would be. Collectively its the most pricey makeup item I own, but it's also one of the things I reach for the most whenever I'm sitting down to create a fun new eye look. I had held off on starting a palette until last year, when I treated myself to this Extra Large Z-Palette ($28) for my birthday. A few weeks later I sat down and attempted to de-pot products for the first time with relative success, and have been adding to it ever since. Since we're about to hit the year mark, I thought it'd be fun to do a little update and share with you guys all the pans I've depotted and purchased, as well as a few makeup looks I've created with this palette. If you love eyeshadow swatches, get excited, because there's about to be a lot of them!

LORAC Pro 3 Palette Review

Hello there, lovelies! If you've been following my YouTube channel (and if you haven't, I highly recommend getting on that. I've got some fun things going on over there) you'll have already seen me swooning over this latest launch from LORAC. The Pro 3 Palette is finally available for purchase online from Ulta, and will be coming to stores on June 26th. I managed to snag mine during a Platinum exclusive presale (#ispendtoomuchmoneyonmakeup) and filmed my very first impressions and a little tutorial when it came in. I was totally blown away by how pigmented and buttery soft these shadows were, and promised a full review after I had a little more time to play with things. And thus, here I am! We're going to talk pros and cons, swatch things out, and even take a look at how these translate to the eyes. Excited? I know I am.

New-In from Nudestix: Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm

So you guys already are probably aware my love for Nudestix is strong. Their products are hella cute, super convenient, and never slouch on performance. It all started with the Lip + Cheek Pencil in Ripe (which I've been reaching for a ton this spring) and has only taken off since then. About a month or two ago I was perusing the "Just Arrived" section of the Sephora website (cause really, when am I not?) and was thrilled to discover a new Nudestix product had launched. From the second I laid eyes on them, I knew the Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm was going to be boss, and I also knew I needed to have them in my life.

Now, full disclosure, because you guys know I'm all about honesty in these parts. My genuine enthusiasm for Nudestix landed me on their PR list, which means that from time to time they'll send me their products for free. I'm never asked to write a review, nor say anything positive about whatever I'm sent on social media or otherwise. Basically they're just trusting that their products are great, and if people like them, they'll want to share them with their audiences. Nudestix is in no way compensating me for talking about their products, however I AM a Sephora affiliate, which means if you go out and buy these lovely pencils using one of the links from this post, I can earn a small commission from your purchase. So if that's something you aren't cool with, I totally respect that.

Phew, all right, now that we've gotten the formalities out of the way, let's get back to talking makeup. These pencils looked pretty legit, and I was incredibly thrilled to be sent three to try. Want to know more? Yeah you do!

Shop the Stash | My Bronzer Collection

When I think about quintessential summer makeup, bronzer is definitely at the top of my list. If you're a pale gal like me, there's no shame in faking that sunkissed glow (especially when an actual tan comes at the expense of things like wrinkles and skin cancer...amirite??). Whether you want to chisel out your features with full-on contouring, or warm up your complexion with a gentle dusting across your face, bronzer is a beautiful and versatile product that no makeup collection is complete without.

Speaking of makeup collections, I am fully aware that I have way more makeup than is necessary for the average person. As much as I want to try every new product I lay my eyes on (and rush over here to tell you all about it), I've only got one face, and a finite number of days to put makeup on it. So, as a fun way to encourage myself to revisit products I haven't given love to in a while, I thought I'd start a "Shop the Stash" series here on the blog. In other words, instead of running out and spending all my money at Sephora, I'm going to "shop" through my existing stash, swatching and reviewing along the way.

Seeing as summer is officially right around the corner, I thought that bronzers would be a fun place to start. As a sidenote, today I'm sharing my individual, standalone bronzer only. I've got plenty of face and eye palettes that contain some bronzer or bronzer-esque shades, but I figured palettes are an entirely separate beast we can cover another day.

Are you ready to go not-shopping? Of course you are!

Sephora Gift Sets Under $50

Hello friends! Today I thought it'd be fun to do a little bit of online window shopping with you all. Sephora has launched a TON of new favorites kits, which inspired me to peruse all of their available value sets and come up with a list of 10 badass options all under $50. As a beauty blogger the hours I spend browsing through Sephora's website could easily be considered justifiable research. But in reality I'd probably waste just as much time looking at pretty bottles and compacts even if I didn't have an audience to share my musings with (#iamaddictedtobeautyproducts).

ANYWAY...these little sampler sets are by far one of my favorite ways to shop beauty. Much akin to my fondness for tapas, I'd rather have a little bit of a lot of different things than one big dish...err bottle...tube?...you get the picture. I love variety and the surprises that come with it. Sometimes you fall in love with a product you would have otherwise never thought to try. Other times a product that seemed amazing turns out to kind of suck, leaving you totally relieved that you didn't buy the full size.

Sampler sets are also a great way to stave off beauty boredom. We've all been there. You've been using the same shampoo for the last 6 months, and while it started off amazing, you've gotten to that point where washing your hair is like listening to a ridiculously overplayed song on the radio. You feel too guilty to abandon a half used bottle of perfectly good product, but you're just so over it that the entire process makes you rage. How is there still so much left? Will it ever end? YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. On the flip side, opting for a mini size gives you a much greater likelihood of actually using the entire thing up before it hits My Heart Will Go On status.

So whether you're looking for travel-sized versions of products you love, or are feeling a bit adventurous and just looking to experiment, these value sets will likely be money well spent. They're also adorable. Just sayin'.

Milk Makeup Have a Good Trip Set

Is it just me, or does it feel like there are constantly new makeup brands popping up at Sephora and Ulta? I love to peruse both sites on the regular to see what has recently been added, and I feel like my to-try list just keeps growing longer and longer. In particular, I've heard a lot of hype around Milk Makeup, a youthful new line that's available at Sephora and in the Birchbox shop. One of my favorite ways to explore a new brand is to pick up one of their travel sets. For the cost of usually only one or two full-sized items you get to try a variety of products and develop a better sense for what the brand is about. So of course, when I was considering what I wanted to spend my hoarded Birchbox Points on, the Milk Makeup Have a Good Trip Set was at the top of the list.