New Makeup Hits & Misses

Hello lovelies! Hope you are all having a good week - I am starting to get back into the swing of things after the holidays and the new year. I was sick for awhile over Christmas and finally starting to feel better again.

I wanted to kick off 2017 on Beauty Blether with a post about some new cruelty free makeup items that I have tried out. Some I have loved, and some have been super disappointing...so wanted to share my thoughts and experiences in case you were looking to try some of these products! 



The Good //
After receiving a gift card to Sephora for Christmas, I picked up a couple things off my wish list. The first were both from Anastasia Beverly Hills. 

Contour Kit ($40.00) in Light to Medium - This is the first contour product that I have ever purchased, apart from owning individual bronzers and highlighters. I am really loving it so far! The colors are perfect for my fair skin and the shades I tend to be using the most are top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom center. They are very smooth and blendable, and easy to build upon. 

Brow Powder Duo ($23.00) in Auburn - I purchased this to replace a non-cruelty free brow powder that I was working to use up. I was nervous about finding the right color match since I am a red head and many of the brown shades are too dark and blonde shades are far too light...but I am so happy with the shade ranges that ABH offers and the Auburn shade is perfect! I use the ABH Brush #7 to apply my brow powder. 

Ever since Too Faced was recently purchased by Estee Lauder (boo...NOT cruelty free - and such a disappointment), I've been looking for replacements for many products I loved of theirs such as the Better Than Sex mascara.

I haven't found one I love quite as much yet, but here are two new ones that I've have been using and a quite nice for everyday looks. I'm still on the hunt for a good "high intensity" mascara that really pumps up your lashes for evening looks. 

Wander Beauty Unlashed Mascara ($24.00) - This was purchase purely by chance. I found Wander Beauty as a cruelty free brand and wasn't able to physically look at the product (not sold in stores yet), so I just took a chance and ordered it offline. 

Turns out, I'm pretty happy with it actually. It has a nice curved applicator that gives good length and volume for everyday makeup looks... and it doesn't clump, smudge, or flake. I've also noticed it keeps my lashes much more moisturized and less dried out by the end of the day than even the Too Faced mascara did - so bonus! 

Pacifica Dream Big Mascara ($16.00) - This is such a cool product - the wand is adjustable! It can be made long for adding length to your lashes, or made shorter to add volume to your lashes. You adjust it by turning the top of the applicator (right above the unicorn). See the photos below for an example of the different wand settings. 

I like the innovativeness, but my only complaint is that it doesn't quite look jet black, on me anyway...and I like my mascaras to be BLACK. However, it is still a good product and has a good price point. Added bonus, it is easy to pick up since it can be found at Ulta and Target. 

The Bad // 
Now, I'm not saying these products won't work for everyone, but they were ones that I have tried recently and consequently returned since they did not work for me, personally. 

Jane Iredale Glow Time BB Cream ($48.00) in BB3 - I wanted to love this so much, and had such high hopes for it after reading and seeing so many rave reviews. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. Thankfully, I ordered from Dermstore and was able to send it back.  

Pros - the color matched almost perfectly and I love the smell (seriously smells like fruit loops!). Also love that it has SPF 25 in it.

Cons - for the price, the outcome and wear-ability was just not up to par with my skin. It felt like it never properly dried, and hours later would come off on my hands if I touched my face slightly. I also noticed that it set in the fine lines on my face, which was amazing because I am 28 and barely have any - and it made me look older and like I had wrinkles! On top of that, these lines were happening despite using a primer and setting powder during application. No thanks. 

Pixi MultiBalm in Baby Petal ($12.00) - This product looked so pretty in the store, but whomp whomp...when I got home and actually tried it on my face, the color did not work. At all. Instead of looking like a pretty nude, it ended up looking like an ugly brown/orange, especially on my lips. Stay tuned though, because I picked up another color in the same product that I ended up loving and will be reviewing in a Pixi brand post soon! xx 


SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave