Products that didn't work for me: September 2014

This is going to be a short and sweet post, ladies! I only had a couple of products in September that didn't work for me. One was a sample and one only cost a few dollars so I got pretty lucky and didn't really waste any money! It was a good month :)

1. Complete Eye Renewal Balm by Algenist
     I got this as a sample from a Sephora order. And it was such an awesome sample to score! The full size of this is $65 and the sample was half the size!!! So it was worth $32.50!!! I have heard great things about Algenist and am always looking for a great eye cream, so I was pumped about all these great things going for it! But it ended up not working for me and I am really bummed about it! This balm claims to do what any other typical eye cream claims - hydrates, decreases puffiness, fights signs of aging, decreases dark circles, etc. But even though every eye cream on the market claims these things, I thought that with Algenist being a well respected brand and the hefty price tag, it had to work! I used it every night before bed for about three weeks. I noticed a slight tingling when I first started trying it out but it didn't bother me. But the more I continued to use it, the more the tingling started turning into an intense burn! It felt like my eye area was on fire! I could not handle it and had to give it up. I didn't notice any change in the appearance of my eyes. I know that I only used it for three weeks, but I feel like by that point I should have at least started to see some benefits. I quickly scrolled through the reviews on Sephora and I saw a lot of women saying how they didn't like it either. So maybe stay away from this one if you are looking for a new eye cream!

Complete Eye Renewal Balm by Algenist
sorry the lettering is a little worn off!

2. Brush-On Striplash Eyelash Adhesive by Andrea
     The eyelash glue that I use is LashGrip by Ardell and I have a love/hate relationship with it. It works so awesome. It adheres the lashes amazingly to my eyes and I don't have to worry about those suckers going anywhere! The glue lasts for hours and and doesn't begin to come off at all. I never have to be concerned about my lashes falling off with the Ardell glue. But the smell is ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. It is such a foul smell and I hate it! One day I was at Walgreens and saw this lash glue by Andrea. It looked of poor quality and I was a little skeptical about if it would really work that great because of how you are just supposed to brush some of that thin, liquidy glue on the lashes. But I just said "What the heck... I'll try it out!" I would never know how good (or not good) it worked if I didn't try it and I was kind of wanting something that didn't smell so bad. So I went for it. Maybe I would be surprised by it?! Nope. Should have went with my gut! It is a cheap glue that doesn't work whatsoever! I couldn't even get my lashes to adhere for 30 seconds. I will gladly stick with my Ardell glue that smells for a few seconds when applying it after trying this Andrea lash glue not working at all. Oh, the sacrifices we make for beauty ;)

Brush-On Striplash by Andrea

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 10/3/14

Happy Friday, dolls!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend ahead of you! My cousin is getting married so I am super excited to celebrate this weekend! An October wedding is going to be beautiful :)

My favorites this week are:

1. Flora by Gucci in Gorgeous Gardenia
     My husband got me this perfume for Christmas last year and I was OBSESSED with it. I wore it every single day for a good five months (and it still looks like I am just barely making a dent into it!). When we got back to the States for the summer, I decided that I needed to switch it up a bit and wear some of my other fragrances that I left behind at home. I just came back to Gorgeous Gardenia this week and I am obsessed with it again. When I smell it, it makes me so happy and makes me think of Italy because that is where I wore it... funny how scents make you think of certain things! I love really feminine, fruity, flowery scents and this is the perfect mixture of all those characteristics. The Flora line by Gucci offers a few different scents (Glamorous Magnolia, Gracious Tuberose, Eau Fraiche, Eau de Parfum), so there are different options to appeal to your personal preference! Check them out... I am sure you will find one you like :)

Flora by Gucci (Gorgeous Gardenia)

2. Pink Cult blush by MAC
     You know me and my blushes! Just addicted to them! And I am in love with this blush! I don't really have any cool-toned blushes and when I saw this I was so excited for it and I had to add it to my collection! It is described by MAC as a "midtone dirty neutral pink". To me, it looks like the perfect mixture of pink and plum and it looks so, so perfect for Fall! It is a matte blush and looks very natural on the cheeks. I have already worn it several times since getting it last week and I can't wait to continue wearing it throughout the Fall and Winter!

Pink Cult by MAC

3. Pores No More by Dr. Brandt
     I got this in a Birchbox or Ipsy bag several months ago... I don't even remember when! It's not that I wasn't excited to try it, I just was using other primers in my collection. I have been really noticing my darn pores lately, and needed something to help disguise them. I have been putting this on before doing my foundation and it has really helped to eliminate the look of my pores. It also is a great mattifying primer and it I don't notice any wearing away of my makeup when wearing this primer. I have been liking it more and more as I have continued to use it and it just might be a full-size purchase in the future!

Pores No More by Dr. Brandt

4. Fit Me Foundation Stick by Maybelline in Toffee Caramel
     This foundation is way too dark for me! But I do not use it as a foundation. I love using it as a cream base for contouring! I personally love using a cream before going in with a powder bronzer because it really creates a great base and helps the longevity of the contour. I also feel like it gives my contour a more defined look. I just use a few swipes of it where I want to contour, blend it out with my Beauty Blender, and then go over it with my bronzer! It is so simple but I feel like the extra step of using the cream really makes a huge difference!

Fit Me Foundation Stick in Toffee Caramel by Maybelline

Swatch of Toffee Caramel

5. Perversion mascara by Urban Decay
     What is going on!? I found another mascara that has impressed me?! If you keep up with my blog, you know that it is really hard for me to find a mascara that I truly like. I got this sample of Perversion in my Ipsy bag last month and have been trying it out over the last several weeks. The reason it has taken a little while to get into my Friday Five is because I really wanted to use it for a while to see if I would continue to like it. There have been several times when I try out a new mascara, think I am going to really love it, and then I end up thinking it just really isn't all that great. But Perversion has continued to impress me! It does an awesome job at lengthening and volumizing and the formula is very clean - not messy at all! I am very happy this mascara made it past my picky ways :)

Perversion by Urban Decay

Have a great weekend!

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

Flora by Gucci in Gorgeous Gardenia

Pink Cult by Mac

Pores No More by Dr. Brandt

Fit Me Foundation Stick by Maybelline

Perversion by Urban Decay

Five Lip Products for Fall

Hey Babes!

I have already shared with you how much I love Fall on my blog. And what I love even more about Fall is the month of October!! Growing up in Iowa, there is nothing better to me than a Midwest October! That may sound kind of lame, but I don't care. Fall in the Midwest is beautiful... the way the leaves on the tress change colors, the chilly weather, the Fall clothing, the hot coffee... I just love it all! And October is the best time for it all :)

Last month I did a post about five blushes for Fall so I thought that I would do another similar post and share five lip products that will be great for Fall. Honestly, I had such a hard time choosing only five. I have so many favorites and like I have mentioned before, you can make any makeup product work for any makeup look... regardless of what month of the year it is! But I didn't want to list 25 different things making this the longest post ever, so I chose five great colors that range from drugstore to higher end as well as ranging in different shades.

Here are five lippies that are going to look great for Fall! (Swatches at end of post!):


1. Nude Embrace by Maybelline (Matte Collection)
     I mentioned this in my last Friday Five. I absolutely love the matte formula that Maybelline came out with for this line. I really hope that they release more colors in the future because I need more in my life! I think that Nude Embrace is a great nude for Fall because it is a darker nude. It is going to look great paired with a cozy sweater for an everyday Fall look! The color is perfect, the formula isn't drying and I see it being my go-to nude shade for this Fall!

Nude Embrace by Maybelline

2. Scarlet Concerto by L'Oreal (Colour Rich Extraordinaire Collection)
     I love, love, LOVE this color! It is so pretty! It is a berry color but more on the red side so when I see it I just think of the color "Strawberry". It will be perfect for you girls who love red but want to mix it up a little. The Colour Rich Extraordinaire line by L'Oreal is incredible. The formula is very moisturizing and amazing color selection. I love that even though it is more like a lipgloss, it is so pigmented and it is going last a long time on the lips.

Scarlet Concerto by L'Oreal

3. Mulberry Lustre by Sephora (Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color Collection)
     I have also mentioned this in a Friday Five. If you want a complete opaque, long-wearing lip color for the Fall, this is it! This will stain your lips and be there all day long! I am still blown away by the formula of these Lip Colors. I love how creamy they are and just can't get over how awesome the pigmentation is. It is a true plum-berry color that just screams "FALL!"

Mulberry by Sephora

4. Plumful by MAC (Lustre Formula)
     Yes. Another berry based color. What can I say? They are just perfect for Fall! I love Plumful because when I want something that is a little more sheer than the other berry colors that I mentioned, this is a great option. And even with it being sheer, I can build it up if I am wanting more of an opaque look to it. Plumful is described as a rosy-plum... so all three of the berries do differ from one another with their undertones! Hopefully at least one of the three will appeal to your individual preferences!

Plumful by MAC

5. Taupe by MAC (Matte Formula)
     Taupe is my favorite out of the bunch. I got this kind of on a whim ordering it from MAC as I don't typically wear colors like this. I decided to give it a try though to break out of my typical love for nude lipsticks... and I love it! Taupe is a reddish-brown taupe and I have gotten so many compliments wearing it! I recently posted it on my Insta and I had several friends asking what lipstick it was! It is a perfect burnt red/brown color for Fall and it is neutral enough to go with many looks. If I had to recommend one out of all of them, this would be it!

Me wearing Taupe!

Taupe by MAC

Swatches in natural light

Swatches with flash

What are your favorite fall lip products?

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

Nude Embrace by Maybelline

Scarlet Concerto by L'Oreal

Mulberry Lustre by Sephora

Plumful by MAC

Taupe by MAC