Subscription Showdown | January 2017

Oooh snap, it's FINALLY time for a throwdown! Both of my monthly beauty subscriptions came while I was in LA for Generation Beauty, but I'm home and ready to unbox (unbag?) them both for you all. If you're new around these parts, Subscription Showdown is a series I film over on my YouTube channel where I compare my Ipsy Glambag and Sephora Play box. Both subscriptions only cost $10 a month and contain 5 deluxe-sized samples that are tailored to your unique beauty profile. Over the years I've discovered so many amazing products through both of these services, so its hard to pick an overall favorite. Instead, I just take things month by month to let you know which one is my personal victor. Curious to see which of these subs stole my heart this month? Just keep on reading!

What's New at the Drugstore | Winter 2017

Hey there, friends! Is anyone else as excited at I am about all of the new launches from the drugstore? After months of feeling not very enthused by anything in the affordable makeup realm, the shelves of Walgreens and CVS have essentially exploded in the last couple of weeks with products I could not wait to try. Over the past week on my YouTube channel I've put together a couple of videos sharing all of my new loot and putting it to the test for you guys. Curious to see how everything worked out? Keep on reading!

Save or Splurge? A Comparison of the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette & Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutrals Palette

Friends, I'm not even going to try to contain my excitement. I am SO jazzed for you to read this post! Not only is Save or Splurge one of my favorite series to write, but the palettes we're going to chat about today are SO amazing and SO hyped that I've basically been bursting at the seams wanting to talk about them since the moment they both ended up in my possession.

If you're new to these parts and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, here's the general scoop. With all of the beauty products I've tried over the years, I've found that time and time again a price tag is not always an indicator of how great something will perform. Yes, some luxury products are totally worth the investment, but there are plenty of budget-friendly drugstore alternatives out there that work equally well and can save you a ton of cash.

As you're already well aware, today's post is a throwdown between the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette and the Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutral Palette. Now, I will say this right of the bat - these two palettes are in no way exact dupes of one another. The shade ranges each have their own unique offerings, and if you're a die hard makeup junkie like myself, that may be the justification you need to purchase them both. But with all the drama around the Sweet Peach relaunch and its almost $50 price point, having a super affordable alternative to get your warm-toned neutrals on might just be exactly what you're looking for.

First Look: H2O+ Beauty

If there is one thing that my endeavors in beauty blogging has taught me, it's that finding the perfect skincare routine is about as easy as finding the perfect man. There's a whole sea of options out there, and yet finding someone (or some moisturizer) you click with is no easy feet. You know how it is. Those products that totally underwhelm are like those first dates where you keep checking your phone to see how much time has passed. Or you have those finds that you think are ah-maaaaazing on the first use, but then after a couple of weeks (much like that jerk of a guy who randomly stops calling you after the second date) end up breaking you out.

Of course there are those people who have been using the same products for the last 20 years and have amazing skin that I can only explain as the same phenomenon as people who marry their high school sweetheart and stay together until they're retired. If you are one of those people, kudos to you. But for the rest of us, we have many skincare loves and breakups in our lives, and need to wade through a whole bunch of junk in the process of finding our product soulmates.

Which brings me to the topic of today's post. One of the brands I've been "dating" over the past few months has been H2O+ Beauty. I remember seeing this brand on the shelves at Kohl's over the years, and not having my interest piqued. But after chatting with their lovely PR team during Gen Beauty back in September, I came to learn that in 2016 the brand totally revamped their packaging and reformulated their products to get rid of all of the parabens, mineral oil, and phthalates. Not only do I love the idea of cleaner skincare, but I am OBSESSED with their new aesthetic. Like a dude with a great new haircut, I was suddenly seeing the brand in a whole different light.

Maybelline 24K Nudes Palette Review

This post is sponsored by Maybelline. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information regarding my affiliations and disclosures click here.

Happy New Year, loves! Is your mind also blown that January is already here? I know this can be a rough month, what with all of the fun and excitement of the holidays behind us, but I do have one piece of good news to lift your spirits. A new year means that a TON of beauty launches are on their way, so you can at least look forward to having plenty of pretty new makeup to play with if you're cooped up indoors.

One of the things helping me get through the post-holiday slump is this Maybelline 24K Nudes Palette ($11.99). Maybelline was kind enough to send it to me to review along with some other fun eye makeup goodies to complete my look. It's got some really beautiful on-trend colors that I'm super excited to show you!